Five Killed, Many Injured In Lagos Gas Explosion

At least five persons have been confirmed dead and several others injured after an early morning explosion at a gas plant in Baruwa, a densely populated neighbourhood in Alimosho area of Lagos.

Also, preliminary reports indicated that 89 shops, 47 buildings including a primary school and church as well as 23 electric poles, two transformers, gas tankers, one tricycle and a motorcycle were ravaged in the explosion said to have occurred around 5:45am.

It was gathered the explosion set off at Candos road, Baruwa Inside when an LPG tanker, which was in the process of discharging at Best Roof Plant, exploded.

It was learnt the explosion might have been triggered by a power generating set which was on while the tanker was emptying its content into the plant’s storage facility.

The gas plant, it was gathered, has about 30 metric tons of gas in its underground storage and while it was offloading, the staff were also in the process of dispensing to domestic consumer.

When the explosion happened, it threw those nearby and the discharging LPG tanker across the road, thus exacerbating the fire.

Confirming the incident, the South-west Zonal Coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye said emergency services were quickly deployed to contain the inferno.

He said five dead bodies have been recovered and three injured person including a woman and two children evacuated to the intensive care hospital due to the degree of burns.

Farinloye said the destruction was on a large scale because the Best Roof Gas Plant was located in densely populated community.

After putting out the initial fire, he said the stored gas in the station started discharging the gas but there was no explosion again.

As at 9:04am, Farinloye said the fire has been put out completely and the secondary gas leakage from the underground tanker has been put under control as well.

He said a preliminary assessment has revealed that 44 buildings were affected, as well as one school, one event centre, 89 shops, one church, one tricycle, gas tankers, 23 electric poles, two transformers and one motorcycle.