15 Persons Die In Pipeline Explosion, Lagos

Over 15 corpses, including a family of four, had been recovered from the scene of pipeline explosion on Sunday in Abule Ado area of Lagos, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said.

The agency noted that about 60 injured students of Bethlehem Girls College had been taken to the Nigerian Navy Hospital in Ojo Cantonment for treatment.

However, the Acting Coordinator of NEMA in Lagos, Ibrahim Farinloye, said the victims, a couple and their two sons, were caught by the explosion on their way to church at about 9:00 a.m. on Sunday.

He further explained that 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 shut down as a precautionary measure.

“The fire was eventually extinguished at 3:30 p.m. through the combined efforts of officials of the Lagos State Fire Service, Federal Fire Service, and Nigerian Navy Fire Tender.”
Also, a Staff Officer of the Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Oladele Daji, told journalists that the students were stabilised at the Navy Hospital, adding that those who have fully recovered would be discharged soon.

Daji said although the cause of the incident was still unknown, some residents of the area told security operatives that there were several industrial gas cylinders close to where the explosion occurred.
 (NAN)