Nigeria: Gas Plant Explosions

16 January 2018
editorial

Gas plant explosions have become recurring events across the country raising questions about public safety. The most recent of such explosions took place, Monday, at Magodo, a suburb of Lagos. As at press time, 10 people were feared dead. Before this latest disaster, there have been other cases in Warri, Delta State, Badagry, Lagos State, Osogbo, Osun State, Owerri, Imo State and Nnewi in Anambra State. The list of these explosions are not exhaustive. These are mentioned because they are recorded. There are others in homes and remote villages out of the sphere of coverage of security and regulatory authorities that escape the public glare. Always, when these explosions occur, they record casualty levels that should raise the red flag. In none of those explosion was anyone held accountable or demands for compensation made.

The danger in these incidences is the possibility of collateral damage as these plants are located in mostly residential areas which expose the people to avoidable hazards to their lives and property. The one reported in Lagos claimed buildings in addition to lives. There are tips on how to prevent such explosions which include maintaining gas appliances and have them checked regularly by professionals; installing a natural gas detector in a home or office and regularly testing detectors to check their batteries. But like everything Nigerian, gas business has become an all comers game that can be started even in homes and open streets without due regard for, again, public safety and by people who know next to nothing about gas or the havoc it is capable of causing if not properly handled. Some of the cylinders used to store the substance that is generally known to be highly inflammable look so rusty that a little pressure is all that is needed to cause an explosion.

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