The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says 15 corpses, including a family of four, were recovered from the scene of Sunday’s explosion which occurred at Abule Ado in Amuwo Odofin.
There are however fears that more bodies maybe buried under the rubble of building that collapsed under the impact of the blast.
However, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed that over 50 buildings were destroyed in the explosion.
Ibrahim Farinloye, Acting Coordinator of the Lagos Territorial Office of NEMA, said this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday.
Farinloye said that the cause of the incident were currently unknown as “rescue operations are still ongoing in the affected area’’.
He said that a couple and their two sons were among those who died in the explosion.
He said they were on their way to church when the unfortunate incident happened.
He said the resulting fire, from the explosion, later spread to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) oil pipeline passing through the area, though the pipeline has been shut down as a precautionary measure.
According to him, a combined team of the Lagos State Fire Service, Federal Fire Service and the Nigerian Navy Fire Tender are currently battling to put out the inferno.
NAN reports that the explosion, which occurred at about 9.00 a.m. on Sunday caused panic among Lagos residents after it shook many houses in Ijegun, Festac Town and other communities in the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area up to Agege, near Lagos.
Also, Oladele Daji, staff Ooficer, Western Naval Command, told reporters that the students were stabilised at the Navy Hospital, adding that those who have fully recovered would be discharged soon.
He said the Nigerian Navy in collaboration with other security agencies had began clearing the pipeline right of way across Lagos, asking the government to revoke the certificate of occupancy of houses sited close to pipelines.
On his part, Olufemi Oke-Osayintolu, director-general, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), said the government would carry out a thorough investigation to unravel the cause of the explosion.
“Our advice to people is that there is no need to panic. We are on top of the situation and the fire has been put out through collaboration by the various agencies,” he said.
“We can neither smell gas nor petrol, we can’t really say this is what led to the fire. We are still waiting for the outcome of the result to know the cause of the fire outbreak.”
Abayomi Abeyi, one of the victims, said his building was severely damaged while his wife sustained injuries from the explosion.
Abeyi, who is the chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers, Mile 2, Amuwo Odofin branch, appealed to the Lagos state Government to come to the aid of the victims of the unfortunate incident.
