- Hoodlums seized opportunity to loot shops
Late Thursday night gas tanker explosion at Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, Lagos, claimed five lives, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed.
The explosion affected the nearby Ogun State Property Investment Company (OPIC) Plaza, where the manager of a Chinese restaurant and two of his colleagues were killed on the spot.
The plaza houses dozens of organisations, including the Chinese restaurant.
The ensuing pandemonium paved the way for hoodlums to embark on a looting spree, according to a businessman in the plaza.
The Managing Director, Rolling Video Games, Mr Seun Peters, said he suffered huge losses as a result of the looting.
Spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, said the bodies of the Chinese restaurant manager and his two colleagues were recovered yesterday morning.
Two other persons died of burns in the hospital yesterday.
“The latest is that we just recovered three dead bodies this morning, which was beyond our expectation,” Farinloye said on Channels Television.
He said: “Yesterday, we made a headcount and management officials of the plaza were around, officials of all the organisations using the plaza were around; only one boy was claimed to be missing and, unfortunately, we could not trace the boy yesterday night.
“Unfortunately, when we got there this morning, we saw three dead – one Mr Balogun who was the manager of the Chinese restaurant. He was recovered with two other personnel of the restaurant.”
He said it appeared the victims were trying to escape from the building when they died.
The casualties figure was corroborated by the Director General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu.
In all, 13 people – four women and nine men – were injured while 25 vehicles were burnt.
Also speaking on the incident, Lagos State Special Duties Commissioner, Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, said three victims died at the scene while two died in the hospital.
“Lives were lost. We had about 13 people rescued, but we understand that out of the 13 people, we’ve lost two of them, which means that we’ve only rescued 11.
“We’ve recovered three bodies again this morning. They’ve started moving them away from here,” Bamgbose-Martins said.
He said a special committee set up by the state government was working to end gas explosions in the state.