Gas explosion in Lagos, Nigeria kills five people, including children


Lagos, Nigeria — A gas explosion in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, killed at least five people, including children, the Associated Press official told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

“Four adults died in the incident, three men and one woman died, and a 10-year-old boy died in the incident,” said Ibrahim Farinroy of the National Emergency Management Agency. He added that the activity is still underway.

A fire broke out after a cylinder exploded at a gas shop in a densely populated area of ​​Lagos.

Orfemi Oke Osani Intre, Secretary-General of the Lagos Office for Emergency Management, disappeared in about an hour and said, “We were able to rescue 10 living people and were treated and discharged on the spot.” I am saying.

The cause of the explosion is not yet known, but authorities suspect that one of the gas cylinders exploded as a result of a fire near the gas cylinder and work done on one of the cylinders.

“Of the four bodies (one) was a woman who was said to be frying (food) while Sodick (the other victim) was manipulating the cylinder,” Farinroy said. ..

At the explosion site, crowds lined up behind the barricades as rescue workers, and some residents carried away gas cylinders left on the premises while the wreckage of destroyed vehicles was packed in one corner.

One of the murderers is said to be a motorcyclist who was involved in a big fire as he passed the scene. According to Olajide Ogabi of the Lagos Fire Department, the fire destroyed three stores, six shantis and about 12 vehicles.

He said there was an error in the location of the gas store in the residential area and along the power line, which was once closed by the state government.

Gas explosions are common in Africa’s most populous countries, especially in the city of Lagos, which has a population of over 14 million. One recent was when an explosion at a gas station in October 2020 killed eight people and destroyed many buildings.

Two months ago, the Lagos state government set up a team to monitor retailers where gas is stored in commercial quantities and to conduct safety audits in the state. According to Lanre Mojola, director of the Lagos State Safety Commission, 1,850 sites have been investigated so far, 15 of which have been closed due to non-compliance with safety standards.

In July of this year, a Nigerian federal lawmaker called on authorities to design a strategy to regulate the use of old gas cylinders: “Continuing to use old cylinders can cause an explosion, especially in poorly controlled environments.” Insisted.

Oke-Osanyintolu, a Lagos paramedic, said a committee was formed to investigate the case and “why it led to this.”

By Chinedu Asadu

Associated Press

follow