Yet-to-be-identified number of persons were injured and vehicles razed on Thursday after a gas explosion at the Mobil Filling Station near Allen Roundabout, Ikeja, Lagos.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service responded swiftly to the incident, deploying crews from the Alausa and Ikeja Fire Stations.
The fire started occurred at 10:49 am when a gas truck was discharging its content into a surface storage tank, escalated, engulfing eight vehicles, including the tanker itself.
The blaze also affected parts of the uppermost floor of a nearby two-storey building.
Firefighters battled the flames to prevent the fire from spreading further. Several individuals sustained injuries and were promptly taken to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) for medical treatment.
The number of casualties remains unclear as investigations continue.
In addition to the fire service, multiple agencies, including the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corps (LNSC), the Mobil Fire Unit from Apapa, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LABCA), and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), were on the scene to manage the situation and provide support.
The Director, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, confirmed that the dampening down of the affected area is ongoing.
She emphasised the importance of public safety and urged residents to exercise caution around flammable materials, adhering strictly to safety guidelines.
But, the cause of the fire is still unknown.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has said the reported explosion has nothing to do with the recently commissioned NNPC Gas Marketing Ltd (NGML)/NIPCO Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Stations, which are running safely.
Its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Mr. Olufemi Soneye, made this known in a statement.
The statement reads in part: “The NNPC Limited also wishes to add that the NGML was not affected by the explosion; it is not involved in the activities of the affected station and all NGML facilities in Lagos, including pipelines, metering stations, above-ground installation and CNG facilities are in safe operating condition.
“The NNPC Limited wishes to state that the reported explosion at a filling station in Ikeja, Lagos, has nothing to do with the recently commissioned NNPC Gas Marketing Ltd (NGML)/NIPCO Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Stations, which are currently functioning and running safely without any incident.
“The NNPC Limited also wishes to add that the NGML was not affected by the explosion; it is not involved in the activities of the affected station and all NGML facilities in Lagos, including pipelines, metering stations, above-ground installation and CNG facilities are in safe operating condition.”
