Kano Explosion: Police Discover Flammable Chemicals At Scene, No Gas Cylinder

According to a report by SaharaReporters, as the controversy surrounding the cause of Tuesday’s explosion in Kano that has claimed no fewer than nine lives, the state police command has discovered a combination of combustible chemicals at the scene.

Earlier, police officials said the explosion emanated from a welder shop, it was a gas explosion.

However, the police have said no gas cylinder was recovered from the site of the incident. Meanwhile, the welder was the first casualty of the explosion.

The command now suspects that the deadly explosion might have been caused by the combustible chemicals retrieved from the scene, which have been sent to a private forensic laboratory to confirm their suspicion.

ARISE News had reported that the Kano State Police Bomb Unit had recovered three combustible chemicals from the site of the explosion.

According to the report, the chemicals recovered were potassium, unidentified volatile chemicals and tobacco.  

The report quoted the command’s spokesman to have said, “The exhibits recovered are potassium, unidentified volatile chemicals and tobacco and the chemicals will be taken to a private lab for forensic analysis.”

He said, “We were able to discover that the explosion was ignited by some other chemicals contained in a warehouse attached to the collapsed building where some chemical substances were also recovered. Some combustible materials were also recovered.

“We recovered them at the scene and currently we have launched a discreet investigation into this matter and after our investigation, we will let you know the details of the investigation.”

SaharaReporters had reported that the death toll from the explosion which occurred on Tuesday morning had increased to nine as announced by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

“Nine dead bodies have been recovered so far from the rubble of a collapsed building beside a primary school following an explosion from a gas cylinder at Aba Road in Sabon Gari area of Kano State.

“DG @nemanigeria Mustapha Habib Ahmed was at the site of the incident and coordinated the rescue operations. NEMA is presently coordinating the rescue operations with sister agencies,” the ministry had tweeted.

Earlier, the police command in Kano State said the explosion was triggered by a gas cylinder and not a bomb.

“It is not a bomb explosion, it is a gas explosion,” Commissioner of Police, Sama’ila Dikko, said in a voice recording. 

“A gas cylinder explosion. Because there is a welder, just by the place, and he is the first victim in this situation.”