Lagos Explosion Triggered By Gas, Says NNPC

                                            Image Courtesy -sunnews online

Lagos: The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says that a gas explosion caused the alarm which vibrated Abule Ado area of Lagos State, killing about 17 people on Sunday morning.

In a statement by the Group General Manager of NNPC, Public Affairs Division, Dr Kennie Obateru, on Sunday, the blast occurred after a truck hit some gas cylinders stacked in a gas processing plant located near the corporation’s System 2B pipeline right of way.

He said that the impact of the explosion was huge that it led to the collapse of nearby houses and damaged some NNPC pipelines.

He added that when the corporation heard about the explosion, it suspended ongoing pumping operation on the Atlas Cove-Mosimi pipeline which was active at the time of the incident, while efforts are being made to curtail the fire.

The NNPC spokesman appealed to members of the public and residents of the affected communities to remain calm and confirmed that the temporary shutdown of the petroleum products pipeline would not affect the normal supply of products to Lagos and its environs.

At least 15 bodies have been recovered while rescue operations are ongoing after the explosion. This blast was the most serious explosion in Lagos since January 2002, when bombs from a military armory exploded, killing more than 1,000 people.