Gas station explodes in Lagos, destroys two shops

A gas station along Ogunlana Street, Ketu-Ikosi Road, Lagos, has exploded, triggering a fire that destroyed two shops on the street.

This is just two days after a storey building where automobile spare parts were being sold at the Alapeju section of the Ladipo Market, Mushin, Lagos, was destroyed by fire.

Eyewitnesses disclosed that the fire started about a few minutes past midnight on Tuesday after the Power Holding Company of Nigeria restored power supply.

A resident, Emmanuel Aka declared that he heard a loud explosion sound and ran out of his house with his newborn baby wrapped around him.

He said, “My wife was still asleep as it was well past midnight. I woke her up and we ran out with just the wrapper we used to cover ourselves as we slept.”

A man who resided close to the affected building, who disclosed his name as Chief, stated that he saw a girl jump into his compound as he was on his balcony receiving fresh air.

He said, “I quickly became alert. I thought it was a thief. I ran after her and she shouted, ‘Fire! Fire!’. I opened my gate and that was when I heard a loud sound like that of an explosion. I didn’t know which way to run as my car was packed inside and my family was also inside. It was a terrible dilemma.

“Most people were awake following the explosion. I later managed to drive my car away from the scene. If the fire had gotten serious, it would have affected us in this building.”

A few residents of the area stated that they had called the fire stations in Alausa, Ikeja and even Ikorodu, but they either did not pick up the calls or immediately hung up the telephone line.

Lagos State Fire Service officials, who arrived at the scene almost after an hour, have put the fire out and kept the situation under control.

As of the time of filing this report, there was nobody hurt.