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Chris Oji, Moshood Adebayo and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Seven more bodies have been recovered from the scene of the Abule-Ado, Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos blast bring the tally to 23.
Most of the injured persons are said to be receiving treatment at the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Navy Town, Ojo.
The Command Information Officer, Western Naval Command, Navy Commander Thomas Otuji, said 55 persons were rushed to the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Ojo, by rescuers led by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command
“Those brought to the hospital are made up of 36 school children and 19 adults. One of the adults had about 35 per cent mixed degree burns with inhalation injuries and pulmonary edema. He has been admitted in the Intensive Care Unit and connected to a ventilator. Seven other adults and two children are on admission. Two adults had Traumatic Brain Injury and were referred to LUTH for neurosurgical intervention. The remaining 43 have been treated and discharged. Three people were brought in dead, two females and a male.”
While two of the bodies were recovered at the wee hours of yesterday by search parties, the other three were recovered around 10am.
It was learnt that one of the victims, a lady was brought out alive from the debris.
This is even as parents and relations have been trooping in to look for their children and loved ones.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said the explosion was caused when a truck hit gas cylinders around the corporation’s pipeline right of way.
Public Relations Officer of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) of the South-West Region, Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed that three bodies were recovered, while a child was rescued alive. Michael Abiye, said he was still looking for his cousin who stays with him.
As at press time, the area had been cordoned off by police operatives and emergency workers to prevent street urchins from looting.
However, street urchins still defied police presence to steal electronics under the pretense of helping victims to move their household equipment to safe ground. Some people were also seen parking out enmass for fear of another explosion.
John Okon said he was parking out of the area because he never knew they were sitting on a keg of gunpowder.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, said combined team of anti-riot and regular policemen have been deployed to provide adequate security
•Sanwo-Olu sets up N2bn relief fund for victims
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has set up a N2 billion relief fund for victims of the recent explosion in the state.
He made the announcement when he addressed journalists at the scene of the explosion, yesterday.
“I have set up Abule-Ado Soba emergency relief fund. It is a N2 billion fund and the state government will immediately be putting N250 million in the fund. Overnight, I have got three banks to open accounts for that fund. This is certainly beyond what the state government can undertake on its own. I am aware that some of my fellow governors have called and I have also received phone calls from the private sector. So what this fund will do is to give everyone the opportunity to be part of it and to be able to donate into it…”
The governor gave two account details for the relief fund: 4030017510, Polaris Bank, and 1017184516, Zenith Bank.
•APC governors sympathise with victims
The All Progressives Congress Governors’ Forum in a statement by its Chairman, Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi, in Abuja, yesterday, expressed shock over the explosion.
“At times like this, we send our condolence to our colleague, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and all the people of Lagos State for the unfortunate incident.
“We pray that God Almighty gives you and the families of those who lost their lives the fortitude to bear the loss.
“We, in particular, sympathise with residents of Abule Ado who lost their homes, properties, livelihood and have been displaced by the ruin,” he said.
•PDP laments spate of explosions
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a statement by Kola Ologbondiyan, said the Abule-Ado incident and other explosions in the recent past, raised grave public safety concerns in the country’s commercial nerve centres.
The opposition party recalled that in January, a pipeline explosion in Abule-Egba, Lagos State killed several Nigerians and destroyed property worth several millions of naira, thereby bringing anguish to several families.
The party said in the face of these explosions, there was need for the government to rejig national emergency responses in a manner that will educate Nigerians on how to prevent disasters.
I foresaw the disaster – Resident
Chief Kazeem Olaonipekun said he dreamt of the disaster that rocked the Lagos community on Sunday, two weeks before the unfortunate incident.
“I saw it coming, but I never imagined the magnititude and we had thought, we would prevent it from happening. I told some of my friends about it and we embarked on a three-day fasting and prayer before the disaster eventually happened.
“It is an unfortunate incident that we have thought we would prevent from happening. However, we still thank God that it happened on a Sunday. You can imagine what the situation would have been if it were during the weekdays. In every situation, we have to give thanks to God,’’ he said.
Another resident, Femi Ekundayo who had earlier conducted the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat round the scene before the arrival of the governor linked the explosion to what he described as residual of gas in the area.
Ekundayo, insisted that the explosion emanated from the pipeline in the area and not from the gas tank that is being insinuated.
Bale, Soba, Chief Jimoh Raheem Adedeji agreed that the way the explosion sounded was beyond pipeline explosion.
•Catholic Church reacts
The Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos yesterday said students of Bethlehem Girls College would be relocated to other school to prevent a disruption in the academics.
“We’re getting our education department along with the administrators of other Archdiocesan schools to see how the students of Bethlehem Girls College can be accommodated in the other schools so that their education is not disrupted,” Archbishop of Lagos, Most Reverend Adewale Martins said.
