A gas explosion at the Mobil Filling Station near the Airport Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos State, has resulted in injuries to at least nine individuals and significant damage to several vehicles.
The incident occurred at approximately 10:49 a.m. on Thursday, causing widespread panic among local residents and business owners.
According to witnesses, the explosion happened as a gas truck was refilling the storage tank at the filling station. An attendant, who requested anonymity, reported that the fire quickly spread, damaging about nine vehicles parked on the premises.
The attendant recounted, “I was attending to a customer when a loud noise erupted from the gas point. Before I could react, the vehicles near the gas truck were already on fire. My colleagues, customers, and I fled the scene immediately.”
Eyewitness Tunde described the fire as rapidly spreading, making it difficult for people to evacuate their vehicles. “The blaze was so intense that we couldn’t even attempt to move the vehicles. By the time firefighters arrived, the damage was extensive. It would have been far worse if the station had been crowded,” he noted.
Fruit seller Adamu, who witnessed the event, stated that the fire ignited while a gas tanker was discharging its contents into an above-ground storage tank. “The explosion was severe. I saw at least three people being taken to the hospital,” he added.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed that the explosion resulted from a rupture in the pipe of an eight-ton LPG gas cylinder during discharge. This led to a rapid gas leak and subsequent ignition. Oke-Osanyintolu reported that two adults sustained severe burns, while approximately seven others had minor injuries. Additionally, about ten vehicles, including commercial and private ones, were damaged, and parts of a nearby two-storey building were affected.
Oke-Osanyintolu stated, “The injured were promptly attended to by our pre-hospital care team in collaboration with LASAMBUS and were later transferred to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital for further treatment.”
The fire was contained by the joint efforts of LASEMA’s Rapid Response Team and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, preventing further spread. The site has been cordoned off to ensure safety and facilitate the return to normalcy. Two LPG gas cylinders, weighing 12 tons and eight tons respectively, have been secured to prevent further incidents.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, through its X.com handle, reported that the explosion engulfed eight vehicles, including the tanker, and affected the upper floor of a nearby building. The exact number of casualties remains unconfirmed, but all injured individuals have been taken to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital for treatment.
This explosion follows a similar incident in late April, which injured nine people, including a pregnant woman, in the Ajegunle-Apapa area of Lagos State.