No fewer than five persons were killed and eight others suffered high degrees of burns with school and other buildings destroyed after gas station exploded in Lagos State.
The explosion which tore through the gas station identified as Best Roof Cooking Gas located at Unity Bus-stop, Candos Road, Baruwa axis of Alimosho Local Government Area of the state also razed down properties worth several million nairas during the early hours of Thursday.
The properties destroyed in the inferno said to have been triggered by the station generator when a liquefied petroleum gas tanker was in the process of discharging its content at the station includes 25 houses, 16 shops, 1 private primary school, 1 hotel, 3 vehicles comprising a pickup truck, tricycle, and motorcycle.
It was gathered that swift response from emergency responders including Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Fire Service, Nigerian Police Force among others helped in preventing the inferno from spreading to other properties.
Confirming the incident, LASEMA’s Director-General, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said that the eight injured victims with major burns have been transferred to the Gbagada General Hospital Burns Unit for adequate medical attention.
Through a statement by the agency’s spokesperson, Nosa Okunbor, said that the gas emission had been identified and curtailed, adding that the incident could be attributed to the gas plant operator’s carelessness.
“Lagosians are encouraged to report unsavoury and dangerous practices within their neighborhoods to the relevant agencies which include Lagos Safety Commission, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency so that the government can engage in more prevention and precautionary measures including issuing contravention notices and sealing up premises to prevent these types of disasters,” the statement read.
