Thirteen persons have sustained injuries and twenty-five vehicles destroyed in a tanker explosion in Lagos.
Gatekeepers News reports that 13 persons have been injured in a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanker explosion at Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, opposite Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Ikeja.
The explosion which occurred around 10:32 pm on Thursday also destroyed 25 vehicles.
The incident caused serious damage to Sheraton Hotel as guests were forced to evacuate.
As of the time of filing this report, Gatekeepers News reports three bodies have been recovered from the scene of the incident.
The explosion has also led to a serious traffic jam along the GRA axis.
Eyewitnesses stated that the impact of the explosion was felt inside the buildings of the Government Residential Area (GRA) axis of Ikeja.
The Acting Coordinator, South-West Zonal Office, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed this on Friday.
Farinloye said the explosion was alleged to have been caused by leakage while the LPG tanker was in motion.
He said, “The resulting fire travelled with the wind to the premises of Ogun State Property Investment Company (OPIC) Plaza besides Sheraton Hotels, which houses different commercial outfits including a Chinese Restaurant.
“The fire was put out at about 12.30 a.m., after concerted efforts of five fire trucks from the Lagos State Fire Service and two trucks from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency Response Unit.
“The initial search and rescue activities revealed that 13 persons sustained various degrees of burns. Out of this, nine are males while four are females.”
Farinloye stated that the affected victims were taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), adding that four of the victims with severe injuries were later transferred to the trauma and burns centre at Gbagada General Hospital.
He noted that “Comprehensive post-disaster assessment on the extent of general damages would be done later today.”
This incident comes exactly six weeks after a fire razed the fabric section of Cairo market in Oshodi, Lagos.
Goods worth millions of naira were destroyed in the market fire, but no loss of life was recorded.
