No fewer than 17 persons have been confirmed dead and their bodies recovered in the Sunday morning devastating explosion that rocked Abule Ado area of Lagos.
Another 25 persons, casualties of the fire that accompanied the explosion, are currently being treated for various injuries according to Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Director-General Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).
Oke-Osanyintolu made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday.
According to him, we sympathise with the families of those that died, wish the injured ones quick recovery and we also appeal for calm.
Oke-Osanyintolu urged residents of Abule Ado to shun fake news concerning the explosion.
“We the LASEMA Response Team arrived at the incident scene and it was discovered that a raging fire had displaced several residents who fled their abodes for fear of being caught up in the inferno.
“The primary cause of the explosion is yet unknown.
“There are a number of secondary explosions which have caused significant damage to multiple buildings including the levelling of a Church to the ground and the destruction of St. Margaret’s Girls Hostel.
“The causes are yet to be determined, while security agents are investigating the cause of the explosion,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.
He said that recovery and rescue activities were carried out by the Ministry of Special Duties, LASEMA, Lagos State Fire Service crew, Federal Fire Service Department, Safety Commission, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and other first responders.
He said that operation was still in progress, saying that updates would continue through the course of operation, while investigations remain on going.
Meanwhile messages of condolence from political leaders and others from across the country have been pouring into Lagos since the incident.
President Muhammadu Buhari in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Madam Garba Shehu in Abuja on Sunday, condoled with the Lagos State government and all residents affected by the unfortunate incident.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had on Sunday confirmed that 17 corpses, including a family of four, were recovered from the scene of Sunday’s explosion.
No fewer than 60 students of Bethlehem Girls College located within the area who sustained various degrees of injuries in the incident were also taken to the Nigerian Navy Hospital in Ojo Cantonment.
Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, Acting Coordinator of NEMA in Lagos, told NAN that the couple and their two sons were caught by the explosion on their way to church around about 9a.m. on Sunday.
Farinloye said over 50 buildings, including Bethlehem Girls College and a popular hotel, were damaged in the explosion.
He said: “The resulting fire later spread to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) oil pipeline passing through the area even though the pipeline has been shutdown as a precautionary measure.
“The fire was eventually extinguished about 3.30p.m. through the combined efforts of officials of the Lagos State Fire Service, Federal Fire Service and Nigerian Navy Fire Tender.”
President Buhari said: “I have received with sadness the news of this unfortunate incident which caused loss of lives and property.
“A misfortune of whatever scale anywhere is a tragedy to the country, and while the NNPC makes efforts to determine the cause of the incident, I send my deepest and profound sympathises to the victims, their families, government and people of Lagos State.”
