Gas explosion in Lagos, many injured, six vehicles destroyed

A gas explosion has occurred on Thursday at a retail outlet of ExxonMobil filling station along Awolowo Road, opposite Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, with two people critically injured, six vehicles burnt, and segments of a nearby building destroyed.

Penpushing reports that sources said the outlet went up in flames as a result of the explosion of a 12-tonne gas truck at the filling station, while emergency responders said that the gas truck exploded at about 11 a.m.

The Head, Public Affairs Unit, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Nosa Okunbor, in a statement said others who sustained minor injuries were promptly rescued and given immediate medical attention by the agency’s pre-hospital care team in collaboration with the management.

Penpushing further reports that though no casualties were recorded, but two adult males are said to have been severely burnt and rushed to the Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) for treatment.

“In response to distress calls received by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, through the 767/112 Toll-Free Emergency lines at 1108hrs, the agency activated its Tiger Response Team from the Command-and-Control Centre, Alausa, Ikeja’, Okunbor said.

‘Upon arrival of the Tiger Team at the incident scene, it was observed that the Mobil filling station at the location above was engulfed in flames. On further investigations conducted at the incident scene, the fire was attributed to the explosion of a 12-tonne gas truck, registration number unknown, which impacted several cars within the filling station and portions of a nearby building’, the statement added

Penpushing also reports that Okunbor added that the agency’s response team, and personnel from the Lagos State Fire Service and Rescue team, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and the Nigeria Police were deployed to the scene to prevent the fire from escalating.

“The fire is under control, as it was quickly contained by the agency’s LRT and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service to prevent it from escalating to the surroundings. The cause of the explosion is under investigation’, he added.

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