News Obiaks News

A strange explosion occurred yesterday inside a  beer parlour that is yet to open along L and K road in Oworonsoki area of Lagos. The explosion occurred around 2.00 pm leaving five people injured including a young girl. The injured, according to sources around the beer parlour, were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The actual source of the explosion has not been  officially confirmed  as at the time of this report. It was however learnt that the explosion affected a building next to the beer parlour, but the building is said to pose no danger to the people. Officials of fire service and policemen were still trying to find out the cause of the explosion as the shop was locked at the time of the incident. But a crowd, which surged to the scene were said to be impeding the work of the service men and the police.

An official of the National Emergency management Agency had to appeal to the people to leave the area to allow his men to do their job. Those injured were residents of the building and a motorcyclist who was passing at the time of the incident. Affected was a five-month old baby girl, her mother, Mrs Joy Angolo, their relation, Mr Monsuru Angolo, a motorcyclist Kamoru Bashir and one other resident, whose name could not be ascertained.

As soon as the incident occurred, the area was thrown into confusion with the residents thinking the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram had struck and many of them reportedly took to their heels but the development was later confirmed to be that domestic explosion possibly from a refrigerator. According to an eye witness, the incident occurred due to excessive heat build-up in the refrigerator ignited by fumes from petroleum products stored in the relaxation centre.

The baby was said to be unconscious due to excessive bleeding while his mother and their relation sustained head injuries. In his reaction, to enquiries by newsmen, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said there was no explosion rather it was a gas cylinder that busted. According to him; “We should not create fear in the minds of people.  It was a gas cylinder that busted resulting in a fire incident.  The small fire did not even consume the whole house where it happened.

‘’The place is densely populated so, a huge crowd rushed out when they saw smoke  from the fire. There is heavy presence of policemen there now and they are making frantic efforts to control the crowd.’’ A resident of Oworonsoki said more casualties would have been recorded should the incident have occurred on a week day.

In a telephone conversation, the Director Lagos State Fire Service Razak Fadipe and South-West Information Officer, Ibrahim Farinloye confirmed the development to newsmen, saying only five persons were injured during the incident. Fadipe said his men received the alert of a collapsed building and rushed to the scene only to discover that an explosion occurred in a lock-up shop which was under lock and key.