‘Great scientist’ killed in Nigerian gas explosion

The head of Nigeria’s Atomic Energy Commission, Simon Mallam, has died in a gas explosion in the northern city of Kaduna on Saturday.

President Muhammadu Buhari paid tribute to Mr Mallam, tweeting that Nigeria had been “robbed of a great scientist”. He continued that he was “deeply touched by this unfortunate incident that claimed the lives of Professor Simon Mallam, his son and others”. 

Mr Mallam was among six people who died in the butane gas explosion in a busy area of the city. Police have said that several others were injured and rushed to hospital. 

The explosion occurred at a butane gas shop, where customers had gathered to fill their gas cylinders for cooking. Mr Mallam is said to have been caught up in the incident while getting his haircut at a nearby barber shop. Several other shops also burnt down following the blast. 

It is not known precisely what caused the accident but reports indicate that a gas cylinder began leaking moments before the explosion. Millions of Nigerians rely on such gas to cook meals, but poor safety measures and little government regulation often leads to deadly accidents. 

Photo credit: apexnews