by The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency has said that two people have been confirmed dead and 30 vehicles burnt in the Ijegun, Lagos pipeline explosion.
According to the spokesman for the agency, the total loss would be determined at the end of the ongoing firefighting operation.
He also noted that the explosion occurred when security agencies intercepted the vandals in the act.
According to him, “On arrival of the LRT at the scene of the incident, it was gathered that some vandals were engaged in illegal bunkering activities at Fire Junction, Ijegun, within the vicinity where NNPC pipelines were buried.
“The vandals had already siphoned petrol into a 33,000 litres tanker while a second tanker of the same capacity was being loaded when security agencies suddenly intercepted them.
“While trying to escape, some of the siphoned fuel spilt into the drainage and the vandals were alleged to have set the spilt fuel on the fire in a bid to deter the security agencies from apprehending them.
“The fire eventually returned to the pipeline point where the vandals 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.”
He said that responders at the scene included men of the Lagos State Fire Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the police.
The spokesman for NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, said the safety of firefighters needed to be assured before the fire would be put off.
He stated that “Pipeline fire is specialised fire management; not all firemen can handle it.
“NNPC safety firemen are specially trained to handle such delicate incident and that is why NEMA mobilised the NNPC to the scene.
“It will take time before the inferno can be tackled until the supplies from the pipeline are weak and disabled when supplies are shut down and the main source and valves closest to the scene.
“In as much as the lives and property of the people are not threatened, the fire will be put off as soon as the safety of the fire officers is also assured.”
