Canada has closed its high commission in Nigeria’s capital “until further notice” after an explosion and fire left two people dead Monday.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Monday an explosion at the high commission in Abuja, Nigeria, led to a fire that left two people dead.
“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 in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“I send my heartfelt condolences to the families of the two people killed in this tragedy.”
In a statement to Global News, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) said the explosion occurred in a generator room and among those killed was a locally-engaged employee. Two other people were also injured. The department said that based on current information, “everything points to an accident rather than a deliberate act.”
According to a spokesperson, all other staff at the High Commission are safe and unharmed, and that GAC is working to ensure the site is safe. They added that Canada was working with local authorities in determining the cause of the explosion.
Ottawa updated its travel advisory to Nigeria to state that the high commission was “closed until further notice,” but did not cite a reason why.
Sina Abioye, head of operations for the fire service in the Nigerian capital area, told The Canadian Press the investigation is still ongoing. He could not confirm how many people died or suffered injuries, nor when exactly the fire took place.
Local media reported smoke appearing midday from the building, which is located in the diplomatic quarter of Abuja.
Data the department filed with the Senate foreign affairs committee shows that as of August 2022, there were 12 Canadian diplomats posted in Abuja and 32 locally hired staff.
It’s unclear if the two people who died were Canadian citizens.
— with files from Global News’ Sean Previl and The Canadian Press
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