*Churches, hotels, schools count losses
*Fire triggered by gas explosion – NNPC
* As Buhari, APC condoles victims
By Emma Okereh ,Chesa Chesa and Obas Esiedesa
Fifteen people have so far been confirmed dead from the explosion that rocked Abule Ado area, near the Trade Fair Complex on the Lagos – Badagry highway Sunday morning. The dead includes two Rev Sisters that worked with one of the affected schools. According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) source, over fifty houses were also destroyed. Acting Coordinator of the Lagos Territorial Office of NEMA, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed the development in Lagos on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has revealed that the explosion which rocked Abule Ado Area of Lagos State in the early hours of Sunday was caused by a gas explosion which occurred after a truck hit some gas cylinders stacked in a gas processing plant located near the corporation’s system 2B Pipeline Right of Way.
NNPC’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, in a statement in Abuja explained that preliminary findings indicated that the impact of the explosion was so huge that it led to the collapse of nearby houses and damage to NNPC pipeline on which efforts are being made to curtail the resultant fire.
President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with families who lost loved ones, and all those affected by explosion in Abule Ado, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State, on Sunday.
In a press statement issued on Sunday evening, the President condoled the Lagos State government and all residents affected by the unfortunate incident, which left many injured and destroyed property.
The headquarters of the Lagos Province 3 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) located on 24 Road, Festac Town, Lagos, is among over 70 buildings affected by a pipeline explosion that occurred in the area on Sunday morning. The explosion which occurred more than a kilometre away from the church premises, shattered its glass windows, injuring worshippers.
A parish of the First Baptist Church near the RCCG parish also lost a part of its roof to the explosion. The roof of a parish of the Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel) located at 7th Avenue, Festac Town, was also blown off by the explosion which equally shattered the roof of the Ark Parish of the RCCG at 1st Avenue, many kilometers away from the explosion scene.
The Bethel Secondary School, a boarding school owned by the Catholic Church in Abule Ado, was brought down by the explosion, with many of its students injured and some feared dead. Many other buildings very far from the explosion scene in Abule Ado, Festac Extension in Amuwo Odofin LGA, were also brought down while many others shook during the explosion that threw thousands of residents in panic and confusion. The Odic Plaza, a motor parts mall and warehouse, Bush Bar Hotel, Green Horse Plaza which houses tyres, Arch Angel Catholic Church, Chino Plaza with many goods in it, and a mechanic village, all located inside the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, were all hit by the explosion. The cause of the explosion is yet to be ascertained, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), which is yet to confirm the death toll. A witness, Mrs Patience Erebogaya, told NAN that she was preparing to go to work in a nearby hotel when the Bethel School was scattered by the explosion and injured her. The victim said that mass celebration was going on in the catholic school when the explosion reduced the school to rubbles, trapping many students. The state Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr F. A. Adeyinka, told NAN that security personnel and other emergency responders were working hard to bring the situation under control.
The Chairman of Amuwo Odofin LGA, Mr Valetine Buriamoh, who was at the scene, ruled out pipeline vandalism as the cause of the explosion. He said that the magnitude of the damage was beyond pipeline vandalism. He appealed to the residents to give access to security operatives and emergency responders to do their jobs. NAN reports that the fire which started at 9.00a.m was still on as at 3.00.p.m. (NAN) Related
Lagos explosion destroys over 50 houses –NEMA
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says over 50 buildings were destroyed in the explosion that rocked Abule Ado, near the Trade Fair Complex on the Lagos – Badagry highway. Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, Acting Coordinator of the Lagos Territorial Office of NEMA, confirmed the development in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday. Farinloye said that the cause of the incident and casualty figure were currently unknown as “rescue operations are still ongoing in the affected area’’. He said the resulting fire, from the explosion, later spread to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) oil pipeline passing through the area, though the pipeline has been shut down as a precautionary measure.
According to him, a combined team of the Lagos State Fire Service, Federal Fire Service and the Nigerian Navy Fire Tender are currently battling to put out the inferno. NAN reports that the explosion, which occurred at about 9.00 a.m. on Sunday caused panic among Lagos residents after it shook many houses in Ijegun, Festac Town and other communities in the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area up to Agege, near Lagos. (NAN) Related
Abule Ado fire triggered by gas explosion – NNPC
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has revealed that the explosion which rocked Abule Ado Area of Lagos State in the early hours of Sunday was caused by a gas explosion which occurred after a truck hit some gas cylinders stacked in a gas processing plant located near the corporation’s system 2B Pipeline Right of Way.
NNPC’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, in a statement in Abuja explained that preliminary findings indicated that the impact of the explosion was so huge that it led to the collapse of nearby houses and damage to NNPC pipeline on which efforts are being made to curtail the resultant fire.
Obateru said the Group Managing Director of the corporation, Mallam Mele Kyari and other top management have departed to Lagos for an on-the-spot assessment at the scene of the incident.
Obateru stated that following the report of the explosion, the corporation quickly halted ongoing pumping operations on the Atlas Cove-Mosimi pipeline which was active at the time.
The release explained that NNPC had already mobilized its in-house combined team consisting of Health Safety Environment experts, Medical and Security personnel from its nearby Satellite Depot in Lagos, even as Lagos State Fire Service was also rallied to extinguish the fire.
Obateru said more fire firefighting personnel and equipment were mobillised from the NNPC Mosimi Area Office to provide extra fillip to the ongoing operation.
While assuring members of the public and residents of the affected communities to remain calm, the NNPC’s spokesman assured that the temporary shutdown of the petroleum products pipeline would not affect the normal supply of products to the Lagos and its environs.
He said the fire, currently burring at controlled condition, was being fought headlong, saying a detail assessment of the incident was underway to establish the extent of damage to the pipeline.
Buhari condoles victims of Lagos explosion
President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with families who lost loved ones, and all those affected by explosion in Abule Ado, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State, on Sunday.
In a press statement issued on Sunday evening, the President condoled the Lagos State government and all residents affected by the unfortunate incident, which left many injured and destroyed property.
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.”
