Two children die in Lagos gas explosion

Two children were killed in a gas explosion in Lagos on Thursday morning, the state emergency response unit said.

Twenty-three other persons were severely affected by the explosion that happened at Aduke Street, off Ojo Road, Ajegunle, Apapa.

Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) director-general Dr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu confirmed that the two children were burnt to death in the explosion.

“Upon arrival at the scene of the incident, it was discovered that a gas cylinder store had exploded as a result of gas leakage,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.

He said further investigations revealed that the fire was ignited as a result of a call being made by an unidentified resident which escalated to other nearby shops and a bungalow behind the shops.

Oke-Osanyintolu said the second body met at the scene was identified as Damilare Afolabi and that the remains were bagged by the LRT and handed over to the family.

“Unfortunately, two children (male and female) lost their lives and multiple burn casualties were recorded; a total of Twenty Three (23) in number,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.

He disclosed that all the casualties were being evacuated to the Burn Unit of government-owned Gbagada General Hospital.

He said the entire area has been cordoned with a post-disaster assessment ongoing.