Abdulkareem Haruna, a Nigerian journalist with HumAngle, and his family experienced a horrific tragedy on Monday morning when their home in Maiduguri, Borno State was hit by gas explosion.
SaharaReporters learned that the incident which was reportedly caused by a faulty gas cylinder severely injured two people and a newborn baby.
The affected baby was said to be some days old and presently in a coma, according to one of his colleagues who confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters.
“Yes, we heard about it today. He lives in Maiduguri but I don’t know the present situation of the victims, we only heard they were injured,” his colleague at HumAngle who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
The Borno Police Command Spokesperson, Nahum Kenneth Daso did not answer calls or reply to a text message sent to him seeking his comment on the incident.
Providing more details on the incident, a conflict reporter, Zagazola Makama, added that the tragedy occurred as the family were preparing for the naming ceremony of the baby.
He wrote: “In a tragic incident this morning, a sudden gas explosion occurred at the residence of journalist Abdulkareem Haruna, sending shockwaves through the neighborhood.
“The explosion, which is believed to have been caused by a faulty gas cylinder, tore through the kitchen as family members were preparing for the naming ceremony of the new born child. Two individuals present at the scene sustained serious injuries.
“Also In a heartbreaking turn, a newborn baby, just days old, was caught in the blast and slipped into a coma due to the trauma. Let us rally around Abdulkareem Haruna and his family, hoping for the speedy recovery of the injured and pray for the newborn child.”