Residents of Hyacinth Maduekwe and Chosen Streets in Abule-Ado community has been rendered homeless in an explosion that destroyed properties worth millions of Naira Sunday morning.
According to one of the victims Ramat Bello, who has been rendered homeless, “I thank God that I am still alive, I sustained these injuries during the explosion. I was inside my apartment preparing to go for family meeting when the entire building began to vibrate. The window glasses were flying everywhere. It was broken glasses that tore my legs. I was rushed to the hospital when my neighbours helped park my properties”.
“I don’t have anywhere to go to. As my rent is yet to expire before the incident. I am praying that the fire subsides so that I can go inside and check if I can still sleep there for a couple of days before I can get a new place. These are my properties outside”.
Another victim Mr Johnathan, said I was in the church when the incident happened. Right now I am moving my family and my belongings to the church. This is a burden on my side because this is unplanned expenses.
As you can see, there are pipelines around this area, more efforts needs to be put by the government in terms of enforcement and preventing people from building where there are petroleum pipelines, because their activities are affecting others.
According to Mr Oluchi who lives on Chosen Street, right now I am going to a friend’s place in Coker tomorrow. I will come back to see if I can scavenge anything from my apartment as my electronics were burnt. The explosion removed the roof of my apartment, broke the windows.
Confirming the death toll, National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, Acting Coordinator, Lagos Territorial Office, Ibrahim Farinloye said that the casualty figure at the scene of the explosion has risen to 15 as at 4pm. Rescue operation was still ongoing.
LASEMA boss, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintiolu, said although the remote and immediate cause of explosion is yet to be ascertained, investigation is still ongoing with more bodies likely to be recovered as rescue operations continues
