Vehicles burnt as gas explodes in Lagos filling station

No fewer than nine people have sustained various injuries and many vehicles burnt after a gas explosion triggered a fire at the Mobil Filling Station near the Airport Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos State.

Our correspondent learnt that no casualties were reported at the filling station when the explosion occurred around 10:49 a.m. on Thursday, causing panic and fear among residents and business owners.

Speaking to our correspondent, an attendant who did not want his name in print for personal reasons, said the fire that emanated from the point spread immediately, affecting about nine vehicles parked at the premises.

He said, “I was attending to a customer when I heard a loud noise from the gas point and before I could imagine what was going on, the vehicles parked close to the gas truck were already gutted by fire.

“My colleagues and I, as well as customers who came to buy fuel quickly ran away. A gas truck was refilling the storage tank when it happened.”

An eyewitness who gave his name simply as Tunde said the extent of the damage was due to the fast spread of the fire.

He said, “The fire was so fast that no one could wait to move out of their vehicles from the station. Before the firefighters arrived, we tried our best to see how to reduce its spread but it was too much. It would have been fatal if the place was crowded due to fuel scarcity.”

A fruit seller named Adamu, who was in the area when the explosion occurred, told our correspondent that the fire started while a gas tanker was discharging its content into an above-ground storage tank, which then ignited.

“The fire started when the tanker was inside the station. The explosion was heavy. I saw yellow buses carrying at least three people to the hospital,” he stated.

Adamu’s account was confirmed by the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Maintenance Agency, Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, on Thursday. He stated that their investigation revealed damage to the pipe of the eight-ton LPG gas cylinder while its content was being discharged.

He explained that the damage to the cylinder led to a rapid gas leak, which then ignited and caused the explosion. He added that further investigation would provide answers regarding the cause of the incident.

Oke-Osanyintolu noted that the explosion resulted in severe burns for two adult males, while around seven other people sustained minor injuries.

He added that about 10 vehicles, both commercial and private, were damaged, including parts of a nearby two-storey building.

He said, “All injured parties were promptly rescued and provided with immediate medical attention by the agency’s pre-hospital care team, in collaboration with LASAMBUS. They were later transferred to LASUTH for further treatment.

“The fire was successfully contained by the combined efforts of the agency’s LRT and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, preventing it from spreading to surrounding areas.

“The site is being cordoned off to ensure safety and to return the environment to normalcy as quickly as possible.”

Oke-Osanyintolu revealed that two LPG gas cylinders, one weighing about 12 tons and the other eight tons, had been secured at the premises to prevent further explosions.

Similarly, in response to the incident via its X.com handle, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service stated that its crew found a gas truck discharging its content into an above-ground storage tank when it ignited.

The fire service stated that the raging inferno engulfed “eight vehicles, including the tanker itself, and affected parts of the uppermost floor of a nearby two-storey building.”

The statement explained that the numbers of the victims could not be ascertained, adding that the injured victims had been taken to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja for treatment.

A similar explosion occurred in late April, injuring nine people, including a pregnant woman, in the Ajegunle-Apapa area of Lagos State.

The explosion was reportedly caused by a gas leak that ignited a high-tension cable, sparking a fire in the area, which is known for its gas cylinder trading activities.