No fewer than five persons were confirmed dead while 13 others sustained burns as a tanker transporting Liquefied Petroleum Products burst into flames Thursday night in Lagos.
LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that three people died at the scene of the explosion while two died in the hospital as a result of the burns sustained from the fire.
Speaking with journalists, Farinloye Ibrahim South West spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) said the LPG tanker exploded at about 1032hour on Thursday night on the Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way opposite Sheraton hotels and Towers. Ikeja.
He said the explosion was suspected to have been caused by unconfirmed leakage while on motion.
Amid confusion created by the gas explosion, the resulting fire travelled with the wind and snowballed into the premises of Ogun State Property Investment Company (OPIC) Plaza besides Sheraton Hotel, said Ibrahim.
The OPIC housed different commercial outfits including a Chinese restaurant.
The fire was put out at about 0030hours after the concerted efforts of five fire trucks from Lagos State Fire Service and two trucks from Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, (LASEMA)Response Unit.
The initial search and rescue activities revealed that 13 persons sustained various degree of burns out of which are nine males and four females.
The affected victims are being treated at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) for first aid while they will be transfered to Burn Centre, General Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos State
The Director General, Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State Emergency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu said government agencies on ground successfully extinguished the resultant fire from the gas tanker which broke out at Maryland at the front of Sheraton Hotels and Towers.
“Pressurized gas that escaped from the fully loaded gas tanker discharged into the atmosphere and spread in all directions, especially that of the Ogun State Property Investment Corporation, OPIC, where it ignited an eatery domiciled on the building’s ground floor, which resulted in a fire.
“This resultant fire led to the blowback that completely razed 22 of the vehicles parked within the OPIC premises beside the Opebi Sheraton Hotels and Towers, trapping it’s occupants and leaving the the OPIC plaza ostensibly damaged.
