….. Rescue Operations Ongoing.
Yemisi Izuora
Three bodies have been recovered and thirteen persons, including nine males and four females sustained various degree of burns as a tanker conveying Liquefied Petroleum Products, LPG, burst into flames in Lagos last night.
According to Farinloye Ibrahim south west spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, said the LPG tanker exploded at about 1032hour on Thursday on the Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way opposite Sheraton hotels and Towers. Ikeja.
The explosion was suspected to have been caused by unconfirmed leakage while on motion.
The resulting fire travelled with the wind to the premises of Ogun State Property Investiment Company (OPIC) Plaza besides Sheraton Hotel, said Ibrahim.
The OPIC housed different commercial outfits including Chinese Restaurant.
The fire was put out at about 0030hours after the concerted efforts of five fire trucks from Lagos State Fire Service and 2 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 9 males and 4 females.
The affected victims are being attended to at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) for First Aid while they will be transfered to Burn Centre, General Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos State
Preliminary assessment on vehicles damaged indicated that about 25 vehicles were burnt as at the time of this report.
Comprehensive post disaster assessment on the extent of general damages would be done later today, Ibrahim said.
He said at the moment only 4 of the critically injured were transferred to Burn Centre, General Hospital Gbagada at about 0230hours today
Farinloye Ibrahim NEMA, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos Command, Hakim Odumosu were at hand and took charge in crowd control and normalise the situation for a successful operations.
Oriental News Nigeria reports that NEMA, LASTMA, State Fire Service, FRSC and NSCDC were at the scene.
Rescue operations is still ongoing at the moment.