AGEGE, Nigeria — Four individuals narrowly escaped death early on Monday, June 26, 2023, when a gas cylinder exploded at a gas shop in Ijaiye, beside the Apostolic Church in Agege, Lagos.
The explosion led to a fire that was quickly contained by emergency responders.
The incident occurred around 1 a.m., and emergency services were prompt in their response, preventing the fire from spreading to nearby structures.
Femi Oke-Osanyitolu, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, confirmed that there were no fatalities in the incident.
Oke-Osanyitolu explained, “Upon arrival at the incident scene, it was discovered that a shop stored with gas cylinders caught fire. Investigations conducted by the LASEMA Response Team revealed that one of the gas cylinders exploded due to a gas leak, which caught fire and affected the shop. Other shops and adjoining buildings were salvaged.”
Four adults, including three women and one man, sustained various degrees of injuries, including second-degree burns, as a result of the incident.
LASEMA’s pre-hospital care team, in conjunction with the Lagos State Ambulance Service, LASAMBUS, attended to the injured individuals at the scene.
The victims were subsequently transported to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, for further treatment.
The fire was extinguished by a joint effort of LASEMA’s Lagos Response Team and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.
Oke-Osanyitolu also mentioned that a post-incident assessment was conducted by LASEMA and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and the affected shop has been cordoned off to prevent any secondary incidents.
The incident has highlighted the importance of proper handling and storage of gas cylinders, as well as the need for emergency response preparedness in managing such situations to minimize harm to life and property.
