No less than two persons have been killed in a gas explosion at Adule Street, off Ojo Road, Ajegunle area near Apapa, Lagos.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said 23 others were seriously injured in the explosion which occurred on Thursday.
LASEMA Director-General, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said that when the emergency workers arrived at the scene of the incident, they discovered that a gas cylinder store exploded as a result of leakage.
“Our further investigations at the scene revealed that the fire ignited as a result of a phone call by an unidentified resident,” he said.
“This spread to other nearby shops and a bungalow behind the shops. Unfortunately, two children (a male and a female) lost their lives and there were other 23 casualties who sustained multiple burns.
“All the casualties have been evacuated to the Burnt Unit, Gbagada General Hospital, Lagos for treatment.”
Oke-Osanyintolu added that the remains of one of the two bodies, identified as Damilare Afolabi, had been bagged by the LASEMA Response Team (LRT) and handed over to the family.
He, however, said that the entire area had been cordoned off and that post-disaster assessment was ongoing.
He urged residents to avoid the use of naked fire in the area to prevent further disaster.
