- The explosion was said to have been triggered by a leaking gas cylinder in use at one of the shops
There was widespread trepidation and pandemonium on Saturday after a gas explosion hit a market in Lagos state.
The incident happened in one of the shops at Council Bus Stop, along Egbeda-Ikotun Road, Alimosho Local Government Area.
Goods worth millions of naira were destroyed in the ensuing inferno as fire quickly spread to other shops.
The explosion was said to have been triggered by a leaking gas cylinder in use at one of the shops, with traders and shoppers scampering into safety as the reverberating sound of the explosion enveloped the market.
Permanent Secretary, PS, Lagos State Emergency Management Authority, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu and Director, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Magaret Adeseye, confirmed the incident.
They, however, stated that there was no casualty in the unfortunate incident which happened at about 2.15 pm.
“The market was full of shoppers when suddenly we heard a loud blast and within a twinkle of a ball of fire and thick black smoke took over the cloud,” a trader in the market who witnessed the incident disclosed
“Initially, we didn’t know what happened, we thought it was a bomb that detonated but later realised it was gas explosion.
“The first responders to the emergency were able to rescue people around and prevent the fire from spreading before the firefighters later arrived.”
As of 3.30 pm, the fire was put under control and completely out out by Ejigbo and Isolo Fire Stations of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service alongside LASEMA, and the Nigerian Police Force from Ikotun Division.
Adeseye, however, attributed the cause of the inferno to negligence in refilling of gas cylinder by the dealer
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