Two die, 23 rescued in Lagos gas explosion

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency has confirmed the death of two people in a gas explosion which occurred on Thursday.
It added that 23 others who were seriously injured were rescued  from the explosion that occurred at Adule Street, Off Ojo Road,  in Ajegunle area near  Apapa, in  Lagos State.
The Director-General of LASEMA, Dr  Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the  development to the News Agency of Nigeria.
The D-G said that when LASEMA officials arrived at the scene of the incident, they discovered that a gas cylinder store had exploded as a result of a gas leakage.
“Our further investigations at the scene revealed that the fire ignited as a result of a phone call by an unidentified resident.
“This spread to other nearby shops and a bungalow behind the shops.
“Unfortunately, two children (a male and a female) lost their lives and there were other 23 casualties who sustained multiple burns.
“All the casualties have been evacuated to the Burnt Unit, Gbagada General Hospital, Lagos for treatment,” he said.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the remains of  one of the two bodies, identified as Damilare Afolabi, had been  bagged by the LASEMA Response Team and handed over to the family.
He, however, said that the entire area had been cordoned off and that post-disaster assessment was ongoing.
He urged residents to avoid the use of naked fire in the area to prevent further disaster.