WTF?!
Canada investigates fatal embassy explosion in Nigeria, issues travel alert
LAGOS, Nov 7 ― Canada is investigating an explosion at its embassy in Nigeria that killed two people, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said yesterday, as Ottawa joined Washington and London in issuing a warning against nonessential travel to the West African nation.
“We can confirm there was an explosion at our High Commission in Nigeria. The fire is out and we are working to shed light on what caused this situation,” Joly said on X.
“I send my heartfelt condolences to the families of the 2 people killed in this tragedy,” she said.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu's spokesperson said that there were deaths and injuries in a fire on Monday at the High Commission of Canada but did not give any figures.
“President Tinubu prays for the repose of the departed souls and wishes all injured persons a rapid and full recovery,” the statement said.
Canada's High Commission in Nigeria, without commenting on the explosion, said on social media that it had “temporarily suspended operations until further notice.”
The embassy issued a travel advisory, warning against non-essential travel to Nigeria, including capital Abuja, “due to the unpredictable security situation throughout the country and the significant risk of terrorism, crime, inter-communal clashes, armed attacks and kidnappings.”
Tinubu, preoccupied with fixing the economy, has yet to outline how he plans to tackle widespread insecurity across the country, including a long-running insurgency in the northeast and kidnappings for ransom in the northwest.
The United States and Britain had said on Friday there was an “elevated threat to major hotels in Nigeria's larger cities” and warned against travelling to Africa's most populous nation.
Western countries routinely issue warning about travelling to Nigeria, which the Abuja government often dismisses as lacking merit.
― Reuters
Two Nigerian workers killed in generator explosion at Canada's high commission
Two Nigerian workers were killed and two others injured in an explosion at Canada's high commission in Abuja, Nigeria. Cars drive past the National Assembly building in Abuja, Nigeria, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Chinedu Asadu
Two Nigerian maintenance workers were killed Monday and two others injured when a diesel tank exploded at Canada's high commission in Abuja.
Global Affairs Canada said an investigation is underway but there is no belief at this time that the explosion was anything other than a terrible accident.
Nkechi Isa, spokeswoman for the State Emergency Management Agency in Abuja, said a fire broke out in the morning while workers were servicing generators.
“The fire occurred when the tank of diesel in the generator house containing 2,000 litres exploded,” Isa told The Associated Press, adding that both people killed were Nigerian maintenance workers.
Two more maintenance workers were being treated for severe burns, she added.
Global Affairs Canada said in a statement that one of the two killed was a locally hired employee of the high commission.
"We can confirm all other staff at the high commission are safe and unharmed," the statement said.
Global Affairs also said it has closed the mission, located in the diplomatic quarter of Abuja, until further notice.
"We are now ensuring that the site is safe and will work with local authorities in determining the cause of the explosion," the department wrote.
"An investigation will be carried out, but at this point everything points to an accident rather than a deliberate act."
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly confirmed the explosion midafternoon Monday in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.
"I send my heartfelt condolences to the families of the (two) people killed in this tragedy," she wrote.
The office of Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu published an image of smoke wafting from the building. A spokesman wrote that Tinubu expressed condolences, and offered his government's "full support" to those working at the high commission.
Global Affairs Canada data, provided to the Senate foreign affairs committee, said that as of August 2022 there were 12 Canadian diplomats and 32 locally hired staff at the Nigerian high commission.
— With files from The Associated Press
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