Abule Egba explosion: Victims count losses, beg Lagos govt for help + PHOTOS

Some of the victims of Abule- Egba petroleum pipeline fire, Lagos that consumed many houses, shops and vehicles with other valuable items early hours of Wednesday have started counting their losses.

Though, they could not as of time of filling this report, quote exact monetary values of their lost valuables, it was obvious that they would amount to hundreds of millions (if not billion) of naira.

No life was lost and they were all grateful to God for that. But about eight residential houses and over 100 shops with all items in them were completely burnt down. A total of 51 vehicles, including 14 cars belonging to one car dealer at Samar Petrol Station next neighbour to the popular Just Rite Supermarket, Abule-Egba, were razed also.

The fire, though, passed through the big drain under the supermarket, it spared the place and continued it havoc along the trail of the fuel at both sides.

Madam Risikatu Alisu, a landlady of No 7, Shobowale Street, is one of the victims. Her 10 -room face-me and face-you bungalow was completely burnt down. Amidst shock, she said none of the occupants could escape with anything as they jumped off the fence to avert been trapped by the fire, appealing to government and kind-hearted Nigerians and organisations for help.

“I have nothing left again as property in my life. They have all gone into the fire. The cloth that I put on now was given to me by a neighbour,” the victim, a petty trader said. “And I am confused as I don’t know where to go and who to approach for help especially at this time when the economy was something else to the common men.”

A group of auto mechanics including the one who gave his name simply as Mr John also lost eight vehicles in their garage to the fire and the vehicles-two buses, One Sienna, one truck and four cars belonged to their customers.

Our correspondent who went round to assess the extent of the damage saw a big hole digged by the vandals to burst the pipeline and scooped the government fuel.

Placed permanently on top of the spot (hole) was a big container where all types of drinks-soft, beer and hot drinks- were being sold as claimed by the neighbours.

It was also gathered that for sale with N700, 000 price tag was placed on the container (and with two other smaller containers beside with people selling cooked foods in them) apparently not to create suspicious of dubious activities at the place.

Another obvious thing around the spot was the activities of sand sellers as their heaps of sand and one of the tipper offloading sand (but now burnt) were at the scene.

A resident of the house facing the spot, who refused to disclose his name said the vandals came around 1.00am and that they were armed with guns. He also said the fire didn’t start from the spot but far away before it traced it step through the gutter it had passed through back to the spot around 3.00am.

End.