Residents in the Maitama area of Nigeria’s capital Abuja feared the worst at 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday after a dumpster went up in flames, giving a loud sound.
The blast, which injured two persons, was taken to be a result of a bomb explosion, the handiwork of bandits who are already settling down well in the city.
But police authorities allayed the fears, saying it was not a bomb blast. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command said in a statement that “an overheated metal refuse container, activated under intense heat, exploded.” The two casualties were refuse evacuators who were on duty.
The police have urged Nigerians to refrain from using metal trash cans and instead opt for plastic or rubber containers, which, they said, “pose a reduced risk of incidents related to overheated metal refuse containers.”
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
