Toba Owojaiye reporting
Benin City, Edo State
An explosion has rocked Nigeria’s Zungeru Hydro Electricity Dam in Niger State, causing significant damage and injuries. The incident, which occurred on Monday, July 1, resulted in injuries to a Chinese engineer, security personnel, and multiple workers, alongside the destruction of key installations. The exact cause of the explosion remains unclear as no official reports have been issued.
Truth Live News gathered that the explosion happened during a routine inspection by the Chinese engineer, who sustained burns to the head and hand. Initially treated at Minna General Hospital, he was later transferred to IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna, for further medical care due to the severity of his injuries. The number of other injured workers and security personnel has yet to be confirmed.
Despite the incident, Siraj Abdullahi, Managing Director of Penstock, a subsidiary of Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, reassured that operations at Zungeru are unaffected and the dam remains operational within the national grid.
In April, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu announced that the Zungeru plant, with a capacity of 700 megawatts, had been successfully integrated into Nigeria’s National Grid, contributing to a national electricity production increase from 4,200MW to 4,800MW, serving a population of over 200 million.
Concerns among netizens have arisen regarding the potential for terrorism or politically motivated attacks aimed at destabilizing the country’s critical infrastructure.