How truck that hit stacked gas cylinders caused Lagos explosion — NNPC

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on Sunday said the reported explosion which rocked Abule Ado Area of Lagos State in the early hours of the day was as a result of gas explosion.
The NNPC said this happened after a truck hit some gas cylinders stacked in a gas processing plant located near the corporation’s system 2B Pipeline Right of Way.
In a press release signed by NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, the corporation explained that preliminary findings indicated that the impact of the explosion was so huge that it led to the collapse of nearby houses and damage to NNPC pipeline on which efforts are being made to curtail the resultant fire.
The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, and other top Management of the corporation departed were in Lagos on Sunday for an on-the-spot assessment at the scene of the incident.
Obateru stated that following the report of the explosion, the corporation quickly halted ongoing pumping operations on the Atlas Cove-Mosimi pipeline, which was active at the time.
The release explained that NNPC had already mobilised its in-house combined team consisting of Health Safety Environment experts, Medical and Security personnel from its nearby Satellite Depot in Lagos, even as Lagos State Fire Service was also rallied to extinguish the fire.
The release said more fire firefighting personnel and equipment were mobilised from the NNPC Mosimi Area Office to provide extra fillip to the ongoing operation.
While assuring members of the public and residents of the affected communities of their safety and for them to remain calm, the NNPC’s spokesman said the temporary shutdown of the petroleum products pipeline would not affect the normal supply of products to Lagos and its environs.
He said the fire, currently burning at controlled condition, was being fought headlong, adding that a detail assessment of the incident was underway to establish the extent of damage to the pipeline.
Kyari commiserated with the victims of the incident, praying that God provides them succour at this hour.