Lagos gas explosion claims 5 lives

A Liquefied Natural Gas home retailing facility situated at Ojekunle Street, Ladipo spare parts market exploded yesterday, killing five people.

“There are four adults dead — three males and one female — and a 10-year-old boy died in the incident,” Ibrahim Farinloye of the National Emergency Management Agency said.

The loud sound that followed a gas explosion in the early hours of Tuesday claimed the life of a gas salesman named Sadiq and four others, according to residents in Odekunle Street, Papa Ajao, Mushin, Lagos.

Residents said that Sadiq picked up a phone call while filling a gas cylinder, which caused the explosion.

“We could not recognise Sadiq and the other victims. These are people that are so dear to us. We eat together. They are so nice. We can’t believe they are gone,” they said.

A renter who lives directly across from the explosion site claimed she is still reeling from the shock of the blast.

Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the director-general of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), urged all people in the region to be calm and vigilant of their surroundings while firefighters work together to put out the fire.

Gas explosions are prevalent in Africa’s most populous nation, particularly in Lagos, which has a population of over 14 million. One of the most recent occurred in October 2020, when an explosion at a petrol station killed eight individuals and destroyed a large number of structures.