An early morning pipeline explosion on Thursday has
killed three persons, leaving scores injured and 31 cars completely razed at
Ijegun, one of the many suburbs of Lagos State.
This is just as the residents have since abandoned their
homes as the raging fire continues unabated.
The explosion was said to have been caused by
vandals who had tampered with the pipelines to illegally siphon petroleum
products belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Responders at the scene included the Lagos State
Fire Service, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency(LASEMA), the Nigeria
Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the police.
According to LASEMA Chief Executive Officer, Dr.
Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, the explosion occurred when security operatives
intercepted the suspected vandals who were engaged in illegal siphoning of
petroleum product from the NNPC pipeline in the area.
He said the suspected oil thieves had already
loaded a 33,000 litre tanker and were on the verge of loading the second tanker
of the same capacity when security agents showed up.
In a bid to escape arrest, the suspects were said
to have set fire on the pathway, which was then aided by the fuel that spilled
in the drainage as a result of the vandalism.
The statement from LASEMA read: “The above incident
occurred this morning July 4, 2019 at 5am. On arrival of LRT (LASEMA Response
Team) to the scene of the incident, it was gathered that some vandals were
engaged in bunkering activities at Fire Junction, Ijegun within the vicinity
where an NNPC pipeline was buried.
“The vandals had already siphoned petrol into a
33,000litre tanker. While a second tanker of the same capacity was being
loaded, security agencies suddenly intercepted the vandals.
“While trying to escape from the security agencies,
some of the siphoned fuel spilled into the drainage and the vandals were
alleged to have set the spilled fuel on fire in a bid to deter the security
agencies from apprehending them.
“The fire then spread back to the pipeline, the
point where the vandals had siphoned the fuel and exploded with escalating fire
which led to two fatalities and over 30 vehicles burnt.
“The actual loss will be determined upon conducting
post disaster enumeration after the fire has been put out.”
Also confirming the incident, the South-west
Spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Ibrahim
Farinloye, said the agency had to alert the safety unit of NNPC to shut down
further supplies through the pipelines in order to suffocate the fire.
He said: “NEMA alerted the management of the NNPC
on the early morning pipeline vandalisation fire outbreak at Ijegun, Lagos
State.
“NEMA also called on the safety unit of the
corporation to immediately shut down further supplies through the pipeline in
order to suffocate the fire.”
Notwithstanding, the fire still raged on for hours
despite efforts by emergency workers to extinguish it.
Reacting to that, Farinloye said pipeline fire is a
specialised fire management, and not all firemen can handle it, except those
trained to do that.
He said: “NNPC safety firemen are specially trained
to handle such delicate incident and that is why NEMA contacted the NNPC to
mobilise to the scene.
“It will take time before the inferno can be
tackled and this is until the supplies from the pipeline are weak and disabled.
When supplies are shutdown, the main source and valves closest to the scene of
explosion will gradually starve the fire.
“In as much as lives and properties of the people are
not threatened, the fire will be put off as soon as the safety of the fire
officers is also assured.”
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