The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), has said that the recent fire explosion from a vandalised pipeline belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Lagos has claimed five lives.
The explosion of the NNPC pipeline occurred within Awori, U-turn and Abule Egba in Lagos.
Director-General of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the agency had successfully contained the fire after several hours of intense fire fighting by the combined teams of Lagos Fire Service and other agencies.
“We were informed by 8.30 pm on Sunday and by 11.30 pm, we contained it,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.
He, however, said five persons died, among them, three adult males, one adult female and one five-year-old girl child.
He said 20 people were treated for minor injuries and discharged at the scene of the accident, while 150 people including children have been displaced. A damage assessment also showed that 20 houses were affected by the fire.
The buildings are at Ile Epo Ekoro road, Alimosho Local Government Area, and includes a storey building at No 18 Musa Erimo Street, four houses at Joel Nnadede Street and 17 shops. Also burnt were 33 vehicles, three cars and three tricycles.
Oke-Osanyintolu said that having contained the fire, the LASEMA team commenced the enumeration of the vehicles and property that were destroyed.
He said that the agency would continue to keep members of the public abreast with updates of the situation.