A gas which triggered the outbreak of heavy fire in Lagos on Thursday has reportedly injured no fewer than nine people with various degrees of injuries at the Mobil Filling Station near the Airport Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos State.
The explosion, which happened at about 10 am on Thursday destroyed several vehicles at the filling station, but ni human casualty was recorded during the attack. The situation caused panic among business owners and residents on Thursday.
An attendant at the station who spoke to the Press anonymously explained that the fire which broke out at the premises spread to the vehicles parked at the station, with nine vehicles affected during the inferno.
He noted that he was at his point of duty when an explosion which started with a loud sound, emanated from the point of the gas. Sell The fire, which started from there, according to him, immediately engulfed the vehicles parked close to the gas tank, he said.
He explained that all the workers and customers inside the state’s premises ran for safety immediately after the incident happened. He noted that the gas storage of the filling station was refilled by a truck that had arrived from the depot when the incident took place.
Another eyewitness called Tunde said the damage was much because of the level of fastness in the spread of the fire; according to him, the fire spread so fast that customers could not evacuate their vehicles before the incident took over their cars, he noted that individuals around tried in several ways to put out the fire before the arrival of the fire service at the station.
Adamu, who was selling fruits around the station, explained that the fire started when the truck that delivered gas to the station was discharging its contents to the truck; he noted several individuals were evacuated from the state and rushed to the hospital in buses.
In response to the incident on Thursday, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Maintenance Agency, Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, explained that the agency’s investigation has confirmed damage from the pipe of the eight-ton LPG gas cylinder. At the same time, its content was being discharged, igniting the fire.
In his account, the damage to the gas cylinder led to the leaking of gas, which resulted in a fire outbreak at the station. He noted that the agency would conduct further investigation into the incident.
According to Oke-Osanyintolu, the explosion resulted in severe injuries to two male adults at the station. In contrast, minor injuries were sustained by other individuals at the station when the individuals were numbered at seven.
The incident partially affected ten vehicles, both commercial and private, and a nearby two-storey building.
According to the agency, the affected individuals were immediately provided with medical assistance by the agency’s pre-hospital care and later transferred to LASUTH for further treatment and care.
The fire was successfully contained by the combined efforts of the agency’s LRT and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, preventing it from spreading to surrounding areas.
He explained that other processes had been put in place in the area to ensure the environment’s safety for the subsequent return of activities in the area. He noted that two LPG gas cylinders, one weighing 12 tons and the other eight tons, had been secured to avoid reoccurrence.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the incident on its X handle, noting that eight vehicles were caught in the fire outbreak. The statement noted that the number of casualties was unknown. They stated that the injured were taken for medical care immediately.
