A gas explosion has caused a fire outbreak at a residential building on Cachol Street in the Ojo area of Lagos State.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, July 15, after a camp gas exploded in the eight-room bungalow.
According to the spokesperson of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services, Amodu Shakiri, an occupant of the building, was cooking in the corridor when the explosion occurred.
“The call came in at about 9:05 am and we were able to isolate the fire to only the building alone while adjoining buildings were safe from the gas-induced fire,” he said.
“One of the occupants of the building was cooking with a camp gas when it exploded and the building was severely burnt with content therein. We also found that the passage was used as their kitchen because there was no specific area identified as a kitchen on the premises. We also counted not less than six camp gases in there.”
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Shakiri noted that the incident would have been fatal if not for the intervention of some officers from the Ojo military cantonment.
He said the officers protected firefighters who were carrying out their duties.
The incident led to the destruction of many properties. However, there were no casualties.
The occupants of the building escaped unhurt.
There have been several cases of gas explosion in Lagos.
Last month, an explosion at Ijaiye, beside the Apostolic Church in the Agege area of the state, affected four persons – three females and one male.
A shop where gas cylinders was stored caught fire. According to reports, one of the gas cylinders exploded as a result of gas leakage and in the process caught fire, affecting the shop whilst other shops and adjoining buildings were salvaged.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), has also urged the state government to conduct regular drills on safety measures regarding gas handling.
The body said it is only way to prevent tragic but avoidable deaths from gas explosions in the state.
Beloved John is an investigative reporter with International Centre for Investigative Reporting.
You can reach her via: [email protected]