On Monday, November 6, 2023, an unfortunate incident occured at the Canadian Embassy in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria leading to the demise of two people and hospitalization of two others.
According to a report gotten from a Nigerian Federal Fire Service official, the fire engulfed from the explosion of a tanker that was inside the generator building killing two men who worked for the generator company and leaving two others outside the building hospitalized after sustaining injuries.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Melanie Joly issued a statement on X sending her heartfelt condolence to the families of the deceased.
“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. I send my heartfelt condolences to the families of the 2 people killed in this tragedy,”
As a result of this occurence, the travel advisory for Abuja Nigeria has been informed to avoid non-essential travel until further notice. The official government of Canada travel advisory is asking Canadians in the area to know that the Canadian Embassy has temporarily suspended it’s operations in the area.
The updated travel advisory says “there is an unpredictable security situation throughout the country and a significant risk of terrorism, crime, inter-communal clashes, armed attacks, and kidnappings.”
The President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu sympathises with the Canadian government, the diplomatic community, and all affected by a fire incident which occurred on Monday at the Canadian High Commission in Abuja.