A gas explosion wreaked havoc on Agbado Road in the Toyin area of Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State late Tuesday, decimating no less than 18 shops.
Margaret Adeseye, Director of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, provided this grim update in a statement released to journalists on Wednesday.
Initial reports from PUNCH Online indicated that an unconfirmed number of shops, stocked with goods, were engulfed in flames following a fire triggered by a gas tanker incident.
Adeseye shed light on the incident, revealing that the explosion was ignited by the mishandling of six 75-50 (kg) gas cylinders during unloading from a mini truck at a gas station. The resulting inferno leaped across the street, consuming a total of 18 shops along with their contents and the mini truck.
“The emergency originated from the off-loading of six 75-50 (kg) gas cylinders from a parked mini truck into a gas shop, leading to an explosion caused by a compromised cylinder head cap, followed by fire,” Adeseye explained.
“The ensuing fire swiftly spread to the opposite side of the street, engulfing 18 shops and their belongings, as well as the mini truck,” she added.
The aftermath of the explosion has left the affected area in shock, with authorities and residents grappling to come to terms with the extensive damage caused by the incident.