By Ene Abu
The fire incident of Ile Epo/Ekoro Abule Egba pipeline explosion led to destruction of 11 buildings and 17 shops, LASMA has confirmed.
LASEMA on Monday conducted an enumeration exercise of the number of vehicles and properties destroyed by Sunday’s inferno.
According to LASEMA Public Affairs Officer, Nosa Okunbor, the DG/CEO LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke–Osanyintolu who enjoined residents of the area and the public to remain calm, asked them to report suspicious activities to curtail the instances of these unfortunate incidents.
While confirming that there were five fatalities made up of three adult males, one adult female and a female child aged five, he stated that 20 people were treated for minor injuries by LASAMBUS and discharged on the incident scene, while 150 people, including children were displaced due to destruction of their dwelling places by the raging inferno.
LASEMA boss listed buildings razed by the fire as one located at No. 18 Musa Erimo street (a storey building), four located at Nos. 1 (bungalow), 2 (bungalow), 7 (a storey building) and 20 (a bungalow) on Joel Nnadede street.
Others included three buildings located at Nos. 2 (2 storey buildings), 4 (bungalow), and 8 (bungalow) on Hamed Sodiq street; three at Nos. 45 (Bungalow), 47 (bungalow) and 49 (Bungalow) on NNPC Power Line Road; as well as, 17 attached shops, and 39 vehicles listed to include 33 trucks, three cars and three tricycles.
Oke-Osayintolu said, “We can confirm that after several hours of intense firefighting by the combined teams of Lagos Fire Service and other emergency response agencies, the fire at the incident site was successfully put out”.
Oke-Osanyintolu said, “We were informed of the incident by 8.30pm. By 9pm we had curtailed it and by 11.30pm we had put it out completely, having contained the area as at 11.30pm”.
Another fire incident occurred at NEPA Road, Alaba Rago, opposite LASU where a fully loaded tanker with an unknown registration fell on its side spilling Automated Gas Oil (AGO).
Responding to this, LASEMA DG Oke-Osayintolu said, “We appeal to members of the public to remain calm, observe and follow the directives of LASTMA and other security agencies on ground as they carry out their duties to ensure the fire is extinguished quickly with no harm to people, property, nor the environment.”