Two people reportedly died yesterday in Lagos while no fewer than 31 people were injured with serious burns and some others reportedly sustained varying degrees of injuries over gas related incidents in Ajah area of Lagos and Calabar area in Cross Rivers State.
In the Lagos incident, a gas explosion in the early hours of yesterday following a collision between a gas tanker and a tipper truck along the Lekki-Epe Expressway at Tera Ahmed bus stop, Sangotedo, the Ajah axis, led to the razing of several properties, including warehouses and roadside shops.
The tipper driver and his assistant, both male adults, were said to have been burnt to death beyond recognition, while the driver of the gas truck luckily escaped unhurt. The Director of Public Affairs of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Amodu Shakiru, confirmed the tragedy but added that the resultant inferno had been extinguished. The Controller General of the agency, Margaret Adeseye, in a statement, said the fire had been brought under control.
“The accident, which was alerted at 02:36 early hours of Saturday saw Lekki Phase II, Oniru and Epe II Fire Stations of the agency race to the scene after it was reported that an oncoming speeding 20-tonne tipper truck from the Epe end rammed from behind into a stationed 30-tonne gas truck that failed to pull over from the highway.
“The resultant effects culminated in fire spreading to three adjoining warehouses and 10 roadside shops, including a gym and generator house, before the fire was put out, saving a Total Petrol Filling Station, its fully loaded 33,000-litre PMS tanker and a host of properties,” the statement read. It added that after the blaze was contained while three Sienna buses, one Toyota Corolla car and a forklift were recovered from the affected premises.
In the Cross River incident, many buildings and other properties were damaged following the inferno at a gas station explosion in Edibe in Calabar South Local Government Area of the State. The inferno was said to have occurred around 9:40 a.m. and razed properties worth millions of Naira, including several vehicles parked on the premises.
The attendant inferno also was said to have razed major sections of the station, including its fuel and gas storage tanks. In addition, the explosion affected nearby shops and buildings, causing residents, customers and business owners to run for safety. The Cross River State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Eitokpah Sunday, confirmed the incident.
He stated that it occurred during an attempt by a gas attendant to transfer gas from a storage tank to a service tank. He said: “The hose detached, causing gas fumes to leak rapidly into the surrounding area. Efforts to secure the storage tap failed, prompting the attendant to evacuate immediately.
