2 die, many injured as gas tank explodes in Ogun

TWO people lost their lives on Thursday morning, at RABENG petrol station in Adigbe area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, as a result of gas tank explosion.

An eyewitness account told Tribune Online that the incident occurred when a welder was working on the tank.

It was learnt that vapour from the tank escaped and caught fire from a generating set adjacent to the plant and the explosion occurred.

The entire station was enveloped by fire as many were trapped in a building inside it.

Two petrol attendants identified as Ibrahim and Jaiye (surnames unknown) were severely affected by the inferno.

One of the attendants, it was further gathered was dispensing fuel at the time of the incident.

Ibrahim was reported to have died as a result of the injury sustained and also a seven year-old child of a herb seller.

Seven other people were also said to have been badly affected by the inferno, while four shops, a Toyota TACOMA van and a motorcycle were burnt to ashes.

The victims were taken to God’s Hope Hospital at Adigbe for medical attention before they were transferred to state hospital Ijaiye, for further medical care.

The men of the Ogun State Fire Service from Onikoko area could not put out the raging fire as the fire engine could not dispensed water.

It took the effort of the team from Ijemo area to put off the fire.

Confirming the incident, the State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Akinwande Aboluwoye, said that two people died.

He said, “This morning, we had a particular emergency that there was fire at one of the filling stations at Adigbe and immediately, our officers and men quickly went there. On getting there, we found out that there was an incident of a welder trying to weld very close to a gas filling plant and very close to that place you can see a generator. This thing caught fire, and since we know that fire, just like magnet, it went from that place, source for the fire at one canteen and went back immediately. All the nearby shops were gutted.

“The whole place at the filling station was gutted and even those people riding motorcycle and the vehicle were affected.

“Thank God for the quick response of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Fire Service and the Nigeria Police Force at Adigbe who were able to reduce the fire impact to a great extent. If not, majority of Adigbe could still be on fire now.

“Presently, we have two people confirmed dead while seven people were seriously injured. We are not praying for other casualties.”