By Gbenga Abulude (Politics and General Desk)
An explosion rocked the Iju Ishaga area of Lagos, Thursday, as a truck loaded with gas ignited causing an inferno. Three persons were reported to have died in the incident, leaving many wounded with some houses and vehicles affected.
According to a report, the truck was trying to enter a gas plant at Cele bus-stop at Iju, when it exploded.
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An eyewitness said the explosion which was from a gas plant located between Elliot junction and Ajuwon Hills, close to Grailland got many injured.
There was thick smoke coming from the area, with rescue operators from the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Firefighters among others, battling to put out the raging inferno.
According to another eye witness, Ms. Chioye Amagadi, said, “I was driving along Balogun / Cele bus-stop when I heard the most deafening sound in my entire life. It was followed by a mad rush from a filling station. I could not reverse because there were other vehicles behind. The next thing we saw was thick smoke which was accompanied by balls of fire. At this point, everyone started running. I abandoned my vehicle and fled.
“Six persons were brought out unconscious before the arrival of rescue workers. But three of them stopped breathing. A nurse who was on her way to work said they were dead but however told us to rush them to the hospital.
“So many people were injured . Some had burns while some sustained injuries as a result of the stampede”.
However rescue operators did not confirm any death. They only said many people were injured.
NEMA’s South West Coordinator, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, said officials were on ground to contain the spread of the fire to nearby buildings.
Farinloye said about 30 persons sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Giving a breakdown of the figure, he said “15 persons were admitted at the Iju waterworks Clinic, two persons referred to General hospital, three persons are on critical observation and 10 persons are being treated presently.
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Among the affected buildings was an event centre.
Recall that just yesterday, in Kogi State, about 30 persons, including school children, died in a petrol tanker explosion that also razed several cars and other properties around Felele area of Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.
Among the casualties were five students of Kogi State Polytechnic, three primary school children who were being taken to school by their father and a woman with her two kids.
This tragedy has made the Kogi Government to declare a two-day mourning as a mark of respect for the 23 victims of the tanker explosion in Felele, Lokoja.
The state governor, Yahaya Bello urged residents to use the period for a sober reflection, as well as pray for the victims and their relations.
