ABOUT four persons were yesterday injured in a dreadful explosion that rocked a drinking joint at Oworonshoki area of Lagos. The incident, accoding to eyewitnesses, occurred at about 1pm. The Guardian learnt that among the injured persons was a one-year-old baby, who suffered from shock as a result of the explosion’s loud bang.
 
The blast also affected a hotel located directly behind the bar at Miyaki Street by Oworo Road junction, Oworonshoki in Kosofe Local Government Area. Eyewitnesses said the gas cylinder of a deep freezer might have triggered the explosion, which resulted in a thick smoke and fire hovering in the clouds while residents scampered to safety in apprehension.
 
Although, the identities of those who were injured in the incident could not be ascertained as at press time, sources said all affected victims were rushed to a nearby hospital where they were being treated.
 
An eyewitness, Tajudeen Amao, told newsmen the explosion destroyed an entire block of shops and partially affected a hotel located behind the beer parlor. “Those who were injured were seated close to the shop when the explosion occurred. The explosion pulled down the entire walls. Some of the broken blocks fell on the head of one of the victim. He was rushed to Afolabi Hospital, where the injury was immediately stitched,” he said.
 
The witness added that the explosion took residents of the area by shock, causing grave stampede in the area. This resulted in multiple accidents as drivers hurriedly made U-turns to avoid being trapped in the chaotic situation.
 
According to him, it was when rescuers arrived the scene that it was discovered a gas cylinder attached to a fridge caused the explosion, though the drinking bar was locked at the time of the incident.

According to another source, the casualty figure might be more than the official figure high going by extent of damage done to both the hotel and bar.
  
However, policemen from the Anti-Bomb Squad have been mobilized to the site to conduct investigations into the remote cause of the explosion, just as policemen from Oworo Division have already been positioned around the area, barricading all roads leading to the street.

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, said the incident is not a serious issue as it is being touted on social media. “It was an explosion from a refrigerator cylinder. People were just panicking because of the loud bang. We have to quickly deploy Bomb Disposal Unit to the place just to assure the people that we are always ready in case of any eventuality. It was a minor incident. It was not an explosion from bomb and no life was lost.

“The Police have taken over the place to forestall hoodlums from hijacking the situation to unleash mayhem on innocent citizens. I want everybody not to panic but to go about their normal duties as the Police are always on ground incase of any eventuality.”
 
The Public Relations Officer of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the South-West Region, Ibrahim Farinloye, who confirmed the explosion through a text message, said only three persons sustained various degrees of injuries in the explosion. The General Manager of the Lagos State Fire Service, Razaq Fadipe, however, said four persons actually sustained injuries.

This was also corroborated by the General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Mr. Micheal Akindele, who was at the scene of the incident. He also linked the explosion to a defective refrigerator in the shop. According to him, there was a gaseous escape from the compressor of the refrigerator suspected to be defective, which reacted with carbonated drinks in the shop.

On the number of casualties recorded, Akindele said a six months old baby was injured in the explosion and has been taken to the Intensive Care Unit of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) while three adults who had minor injuries are receiving treatment at Afolabi Hospital close to the scene of the explosion.