UPDATE: Death Toll Hits 5 As Gas Explosion Rocks Ladipo In Lagos

The death toll in the gas explosion that rocked Ojekunle Street in the Ladipo area of Mushin in Lagos State has increased to five.

Primebusiness.africa learnt that the explosion happened around 8am. An official of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency has also confirmed the development.

The official earlier disclosed that the development had claimed at least three lives.

This medium also gathered that the official first responders have been deployed to the site of the explosion.

Meanwhile, primebusiness.africa can recall that a gas leakage recently occurred around Computer Village, Oba Akran Area of Lagos on Wednesday.

The spokesperson for NEMA (South West), Ibrahim Farinloye, in a statement on Wednesday, advised residents to avoid using anything inflammable.

Farinloye said: “Residents around Computer Village, Underbridge Awolowo Way, and Oba Akran axis, Anifowose Street, Medical Road must not open shops or use open naked fire for safety reasons.

“Distressed alert just received indicates massive leakage of gas pipeline around these areas.”

It was learnt that some eyewitnesses at the Ikeja gas leakage have revealed that the cause of the incident is due to the ongoing road rehabilitation in the area.

The scene of the gas leak which was under Ikeja bridge, some houses and shops along the road had been partially demolished. It was gathered that the government plans to expand the road, hence the gas leakage this morning.

Moreso, operatives of the Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian Army, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Lagos State Fire Service, Manufacturing Association of Nigeria Fire Department, among others were on the ground at the scene of the leakage.

An eyewitness, Adekunle Raji, whose mother sells her wares at the spot where the gas leakage occurred, affirmed that the ongoing road project caused the gas leakage.

He said: “I am a trader here and to my own knowledge, this is the first time something like this would happen. They said they wanted to widen the road so they demolished some structures. While they were doing that, I think they made a mistake and hit a pipeline and it was not repaired. They are still doing the road rehabilitation.

“People always trade here and nothing like this has ever happened. This is the first time this kind of thing will happen. This particular place that it happened is where my mother sells her wares and I also assist her. The leakage has affected our business immensely.”