|
|
Nigeria: 39 Die in Lagos Pipeline Fire
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
Vanguard (Lagos)
16 May 2008
Posted to the web 16 May 2008
Lagos
WORK on a road project in Lagos turned tragic yesterday when an excavator uprooted an oil pipeline, igniting a huge fire that left about 39 people, including school children dead. Among the dead were three brothers. Some accounts put the casualty figure at 100.
More people were either missing or injured, while 16 buildings and over 20 shanties were razed. Some families were rendered homeless.
The construction excavator was working on the Ijegun - Iseri Osun - Jakande Estate, Isolo road.
At the time of the incident, Automotive Gas Oil otherwise known as diesel was being pumped through the line thereby worsening the situation.
Alhaji Abdulsalam Muhammed, Assistant Zonal Co-ordinator South-West, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the driver of the excavator was burnt beyond recognition, and that as soon as the NNPC was alerted, it immediately stopped the circulation of diesel through the pipeline
Yesterday's pipeline fire was different in the sense that, unlike the past ones which were caused by the activities of vandals and fuel thieves, it was caused by construction work.
As at 6 p.m. yesterday, doctors at the Ikeja General Hospital were still battling to save the lives of over 60 persons who sustained first degree burns. Several others said to have sustained minor burns were treated in several government hospitals in the state.
3 brothers, pregnant woman with 4-yr-old among victims
Three brothers- Osahon, Osamede and Idemudia aged 18, 15 and 13 respectively -were said to be among those who lost their lives in the inferno. A pregnant woman and her 4-year-old son were also said to be among the deceased.
It was gathered that the construction workers mistakenly broke an underground pipeline from which product started gushing out.
Residents of the area cashed in on the situation to scoop fuel from the broken pipeline when all of a sudden an explosion occurred, setting those around ablaze.
The fire which started from the Isolo end of Ijegun reportedly spread through the gutters to buildings, and their occupants. Also affected was Ijegun Primary School, where some of the pupils reportedly sustained minor burns while scampering for safety.
Fire sacks schools
Vanguard gathered that other schools affected by the development include: Ijegun High School, Saint Saviours Nursery and Primary School and Queen Marie's College which all of which had to close down temporarily.
When Vanguard arrived the scene yesterday, the area was covered in thick smoke emanating from the fire.
People who were yet to find their loved ones were unconsolable as they wailed.
As at 5.30 p.m, the fire was still raging and there were fears it might further spread to other houses. Officials of the Federal and State Fire Service battled to no avail to put it out. At a point, the frustrated officials ran out of water and hydrant to battle the raging inferno.
Vanguard gathered that officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had been contacted to shut in products distribution on the pipeline from the Ijegun end to stop further flow.
Red Cross confirms 39 deaths
Chairman of the Lagos State Red Cross Society of Nigeria, Deacon Timothy Oladele, confirmed "that 39 persons lost their lives in the tragic incident, 56 others sustained varying degree of burns, while 11 houses were gutted by fire."
The deceased were driven in four ambulances to the Ikeja General Hospital as at 5.30 pm yesterday.
Deacon Oladele also said the Red Cross had compiled names of those injured and set up camps around the area where people could come and write down the names of their missing relatives as well as cross check if their relations were among those whose names were compiled.
The state Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Marvel Akpoyibo, was at the scene with the Area 'G' Commander, Omolaji Ojusanya. Officials of LASTMA, LASAMBUS, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and the police were all present at the scene.
|
The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Frank Mba, said policemen were at the scene to provide security.
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
