From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Three people, a mother and her two children aged six and eight respectively were injured in a gas explosion that occurred at their residence located at Azikoro road in Yenagoa, the state capital.
According to an investigation, the mother who was awaiting the arrival of her husband was with her children in the house when the gas exploded in the kitchen.
Sources said the woman smelt gas leakage and she got a torch to investigate the source of the smell when a loud bang was heard which rocked the building, tearing down the iron door prompting neighbours to rush out to the apartment of the victims.
A close neighbour who narrated how the incident happened disclosed that the three victims were home awaiting the arrival of the husband, who is a commercial motorcyclist from Kogi State at the time of the incident.
“Upon perceiving the smell of the gas, the woman left the children and switched on a torchlight to check the leakage. What was heard next was a huge explosion which threw open their iron door and shook the building.”
Findings indicated that the three victims, especially the two children were severely burnt and are treated at the Bayelsa Specialist Hospital beside the Government House.
“The explosion threw up a ball of fire which injured the victims severely. We were able to rescue them and took them to the Bayelsa Specialist Hospital. The six-year-old boy was severely burnt because he was lying down naked when the explosion occurred. The mother and the other eight-year-old boy were severely affected too.”