Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, has confirmed two people dead and over 30 vehicles burnt following the early morning explosion at the Ijegun area of Lagos.
The agency also confirmed that the explosion occurred at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, pipeline in the area.
According to the Chief Executive Officer LASEMA, Femi Oke-Osanyetolu, suspected pipeline vandals ignited the fire at about 5am on Thursday at Fire Junction, Ijegun, in a bid to prevent security operatives from pursuing them.
The vandals were said to have siphoned Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, into a 33,000 litre capacity tanker and were loading a second one when security operatives intercepted them.
Oke-Osanyetolu, said: “While trying to escape from the security agencies, some of the siphoned fuel spilled into the drainage and the vandals were alleged to have set the spilled fuel on fire in a bid to deter the security agencies from apprehending them.
“The fire then spread back to the pipeline, the point where the vandals had siphoned the fuel and exploded with escalating fire which led to two fatalities and over 30 vehicles burnt.
“The actual loss will be determined upon conducting post disaster enumeration after the fire has been put out. Responders at the scene include Lagos State Fire Service, Police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.”
The Nation
