By Adedapo Adesanya
A gas explosion that rocked the Baruwa community in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State in the early hours of Thursday has so far claimed the lives of eight persons.
The explosion, which reportedly emanated from a gas outlet known as Best Roof Cooking Gas, occurred around 5.45 am today.
Giving details, the Director-General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Mr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the agency’s emergency response unit had been deployed in the area, adding that the explosion razed houses, shops and a primary school.
He said, “The explosion occurred and the agency activated a response plan. Initial disaster assessment is as follows: casualties still being assessed but eight fatalities have been identified so far 25 houses that are mostly bungalows, 16 lock-up shops and one primary school have been affected.
“Firefighters and rescue workers are operating at the incident scene. The gas emission has been identified and curtailed. Damping down is ongoing.”
“Post-disaster assessment will be carried out and further updates provided,” he added.
Other agencies including Lagos State Response Unit (LRU) Fire, Lagos State Fire Service, Nigerian Police Force (NPF), and Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) were on the ground to curtail the spread of the fire to other buildings.
Modupe Gbadeyanka