No fewer than 15 persons sustained varying degrees of injuries following a gas explosion that occurred on Sunday afternoon in the Ijora Badia area of Apapa Iganmu Local Council Development Area, Lagos State.
The incident, which took place at about 4:10 pm, involved a 25kg gas cylinder in a mini shop where five similar cylinders were stored. The shop was situated within a bungalow comprising 15 self-contained rooms and seven other commercial outlets.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, confirmed the explosion and provided insight into the cause of the incident. According to her, the fire was triggered by a gas leak caused by poor handling practices, which allowed the escaped gas to come into contact with an open flame.
“It was a case of poor handling of gas products, which unfortunately allowed gas to escape and come in contact with a flame. This triggered the explosion,” Adeseye stated.
She explained that although the explosion caused a brief panic in the area, the fire was quickly brought under control, and further danger was averted.
“The resulting fire was swiftly extinguished, and the remains of the gas cylinders were safely evacuated. The danger was completely averted, and normalcy has since returned to the area,” she added.
Adeseye confirmed that while no fatalities were recorded, 15 people suffered burn injuries in the explosion. She assured that none of the injuries were life-threatening. Some victims were administered first aid at the scene, while others were taken to nearby hospitals for further medical attention.
The firefighting response was carried out by a coordinated team comprising personnel from the Sari Iganmu Fire Station, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, and LASAMBUS, the state’s emergency medical service.
