The national emergency Management Agency says 15 corpses, including a family of four, have been recovered from the scene of Sunday’s explosion which occurred at Abule Ado, Trade Fair axis of Lagos State.
No fewer than 60 students of Bethlehem Girls College located within the area, who sustained various degrees of injury in the incident were also taken to the Nigerian Navy Hospital in Ojo Cantonment.
Acting Coordinator of NEMA in Lagos, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, told the News Agency of Nigeria that “a couple and their two sons were caught by the explosion on their way to church around about 9 a.m. on Sunday”.
Farinloye said over 50 buildings, including Bethlehem Girls College and a popular hotel, were damaged in the explosion.
He said, “The resulting fire later spread to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation oil pipeline passing through the area even though the pipeline had been shut down as a precautionary measure.
“The fire was eventually extinguished about 3.30 p.m. through the combined efforts of officials of the Lagos State Fire Service, Federal Fire Service, and Nigerian Navy Fire Tender.”
One of the victims of the incident, Mr Abayomi Abeyi, said his building was severely damaged while his wife sustained injuries from the explosion.
(NAN)