A gas explosion tore through the Liberty Junction area of Kubwa in Abuja on Sunday morning after a vehicle rammed into a gas retail outlet, triggering a fire that spread rapidly to a row of nearby shops and left a police traffic post damaged in the process.

The incident occurred at about 6:15am, sending thick plumes of smoke billowing over the busy commercial corridor as flames consumed at least nine shops and a container located close to the gas station.

The vehicle involved in the crash was reduced to a burnt-out shell by the time firefighters brought the blaze under control, though its driver and a young child travelling with him were rescued from the wreckage. The explosion’s force was strong enough to shake nearby buildings, uproot signposts and overturn a traffic warden’s booth stationed at the junction.

A combined team of emergency responders, drawn from the Federal Fire Service, the Federal Capital Territory Fire Service, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the National Emergency Management Agency and the Nigeria Police, was quickly deployed to the scene. Officials said crews worked through the morning to douse the flames and prevent the fire from spreading further into the densely populated commercial district.

In a statement, the Federal Fire Service said its personnel, alongside their FCT Command counterparts, responded within minutes of the blast being reported, crediting the swift action with averting what could have become a far more destructive explosion.

The blaze set off a heavy traffic gridlock along the corridor, as commuters, motorcyclists and curious onlookers converged on the area, with residents and passersby gathering behind cordons to watch emergency teams battle the fire. No fatalities have so far been reported in connection with the incident, and authorities have yet to disclose the full extent of the damage or confirm the precise circumstances that led the vehicle to collide with the gas facility.

The episode adds to a string of fuel and gas-related fire incidents that have periodically struck filling and refill stations across Abuja in recent months, renewing scrutiny of safety standards at the capital’s petroleum retail outlets.