Canada embassy explosion: Two people killed in blast in Nigeria

The cause of the blast in Abuja is now being investigated

An explosion at Canada's High Commission in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, has killed two people and injured two others, Nigerian officials say.

A fire broke out when generators, containing 2,000 litres of diesel, were being serviced, a spokeswoman for Nigeria's emergency services said.

The two people killed were Nigerian maintenance workers, Nkechi Isa told the Associated Press news agency.

Canada said the cause of Monday's explosion was being investigated.

But at this stage "everything points to an accident rather than a deliberate act", Canada's foreign affairs ministry said in a statement quoted by local media, following the blast.

The two people injured were taken to a hospital in Abuja and are being treated for severe burns, Ms Isa said.

In a statement released by his spokesperson President Bola Tinubu said that he "sympathises with the Canadian government, diplomatic community and all persons affected by a fire incident".

Canada's High Commission in Nigeria posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that all services would be "temporarily suspended".