50 Die in Lagos Oil Pipeline Explosion
By Eugene Agha
Tragedy occurred yesterday in Lagos as a pipeline explosion engulfed a substantial part of Ijegun, a riverine community located in Ojo end of the metropolis. No fewer than 50 persons lost their lives as a result of the incident which witnesses said started at about 1.30 am.
Although, fire fighters and policemen were still battling to put out the fire, as at the witnesses disclosed that an unconfirmed number of people, among whom are women and children sustained second degree burnts, while several houses were completely razed by the fire.
A police source attached to Satellite Police Station said as at 11.30 am yesterday about 50 mutilated bodies were fished out of the murky waters while a combined team of local fishermen and Police have gone out in search of more bodies
"The casualty may reach 80 or 100 before the end of the day, while the Area Commander, Area E, in an attempt to keep the number of dead low has advised medical practitioners in the area to treat anybody with fire injuries," the source said.
However, nobody could give an accurate account of how the fire started, but some witnesses alleged that some pipeline vandals had besieged the site of an oil spillage with different sizes of plastic jerry cans.
The vandals who were scooping petroleum products into their jerry cans, the witnesses further alleged, attempted to drill more holes on the pipeline with the aid of a drilling machine.
"There was a large explosion which was heard in different quarters," the witnesses said.
The witnesses further stated that the explosion was later followed by a fire outburst which extended to the length and breadth of the area.
Majority of those who died before help could come, the witnesses said, were trapped in the murky waters.
Although, a rescue attempt was made by the villagers, who formed a team before the arrival of the police, the witnesses revealed that the intensity of the fire drove the voluntary rescue workers away from the area.
A man who identified himself as Baba Moji alleged that several hundreds of villagers from other areas have continued to besiege the site of the oil spillage in canoes along with their children to scoop oil.
According to him, two days ago some of the vandals were seen drilling holes on the pipeline.
"About three of them almost died in the river when their boats capsized in the middle of the river" the witness said.
He added that an attempt made by the community leaders to put an end to activities of oil pipeline vandals in the area was rebuffed, as some of them openly threatened to deal with anybody who may want to go against their wish.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police Emmanuel Ighodalo, while confirming the incident said rescue operation was still on.
According to him, the Command was informed about the fire outbreak at Ijegun water side.
Upon the receipt of the information, a team of policemen from Satellite Police Station was detailed to investigate .
At the scene, Ighodalo said the police team was confronted with a huge inferno that was virtually burning on top of the river where some oil pipeline vandals had gone to scoop fuel.
Majority of the victims who were trapped in the mud, the PRO stated, were roasted by the fire while those who scampered to safety sustained second degree burnts.
He, however could not give the actual number of those who died in the incident, but added that a good number of the vandals died in the fire.
Expressing the determination of the Command to clamp down on the activities of oil pipeline vandals in the state, Ighodalo said when the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Israel Ajao, assumed office four months ago he noticed the menace of pipeline vandals. As a result, the police commissioner set up a special Task Force on Oil Pipeline Vandals in the state," he said.
"Since then over 200 pipeline vandals have been arrested and several quantities of petroleum products recovered from the suspects.
About 500 people died in Jesse, a small community in Ethiope Local Government area of Delta State when there was a similar fire outbreak resulting from illegal activities of oil pipeline vandals.
A small community in Abia State also witnessed fire outbreak in which many people died when an illegal oil scooping activity ended in disaster.
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