By Solomon Asowata
Lagos – The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Friday said that its impact assessment of Thursday’s explosion of a gas tanker in Iju area of Lagos had revealed that 44 persons sustained varying degrees of injuries in the incident.
Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, Acting Zonal Coordinator, South West Zonal Office, (NEMA), gave the update in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, saying more than 30 of them had been discharged after treatment.
Farinloye debunked the claim that three persons including the truck driver died in the incident, adding that impact assessment by NEMA and other rescue agencies had shown that there was no fatality yet.
He said, ” From our assessment, total number of persons injured in the incident is 44.
“Seventy-five traders plying their trade within the area and 36 residential houses comprising 56 households were affected by the inferno.”
According to him, six churches, four mosques, 26 vehicles, two gas tankers, two tricycles and 11 electric poles were destroyed in the explosion.
Earlier on Thursday, NEMA said that no fewer than 15 persons had been injured and several cars and property destroyed in the explosion, which occurred at Balogun Bus Stop in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State.
NAN reports that the explosion occurred at 3.05pm when the gas tanker which was trying to enter Cerato Gas Plant located in the area suddenly went up in flames.
The explosion caused panic among the residents and business owners in Iju area and environs.
The fire was, however extinguished through combined efforts of emergency responders including NEMA, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency , Lagos State Fire Service, the Police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.
NAN reports that the incident occurred barely 24 hours after a petroleum tanker exploded and killed over 20 persons at Felele, in Kogi.
(NAN)
