Yemisi Izuora
The National Emergency Management Agency on Sunday recovered two bodies from the explosion site of a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, pipeline at Ile Epo axis of Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Ibrahim Farinloye, Acting Coordinator, Lagos Territorial Office, NEMA, confirmed the development to the media in Lagos.
According to Farinoye, several persons including a mother and child died in the inferno that followed the fire outbreak, and several persons also suffered varying degrees of injury from the fire.
The raging fire caused panic among the residents of Abule Egba, Ile Epo and Ekoro road due to intense smoke, which oozed out from the explosion scene.
Farinloye added that several buildings and articulated vehicles were engulfed in the inferno.
He noted that the cause of the incident was yet to be ascertained, saying emergency responders immediately swung into action after receiving distress calls from some residents of the area.
He said: “NEMA and Lagos State Emergency Management Agency officials are here.
“The Lagos State Fire Service officials are here trying to put off the fire.
“We have contacted NNPC to shut down the pipelines and so far, we have been able to recover some bodies.”
Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, Director General, LASEMA, also confirmed the incident in a statement.
Oke-Osanyintolu said: “A raging fire from the explosion of a vandalised NNPC pipeline has caused panic among residents within Awori, U-turn and Pipeline communities in Abule Egba.
“LASEMA, Lagos Fire Service are responding and are on top of the situation.”