Oke-Osanyintolu made this known in an interview with our reporter in Lagos on Sunday.

According to him, we sympathise with the families of those that died, wish the injured ones quick recovery and we also appeal for calm.

Oke-Osanyintolu urged residents of Abule Ado to shun fake news concerning the explosion.

“We the LASEMA Response Team arrived at the incident scene and it was discovered that a raging fire had displaced several residents who fled their abodes for fear of being caught up in the inferno.

“The primary cause of the explosion is yet unknown.

“There are a number of secondary explosions which have caused significant damage to multiple buildings including the levelling of a Church to the ground and the destruction of St. Margaret’s Girls Hostel.

“The causes are yet to be determined, while security agents are investigating the cause of the explosion,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.

He said that recovery and rescue activities were carried out by the Ministry of Special Duties, LASEMA, Lagos State Fire Service crew, Federal Fire Service Department, Safety Commission, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and other first responders.

He said that operation was still in progress, saying that updates would continue through the course of operation, while investigations remain on going.

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Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, Acting Coordinator of the Lagos Territorial Office of NEMA, confirmed the development in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos on Sunday.

Farinloye said that the cause of the incident and casualty figure were currently unknown as “rescue operations are still going on in the affected area.”

He said the resulting fire, from the explosion, later spread to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) oil pipeline passing through the area, although though the pipeline has been shut down as a precautionary measure.

According to him, a combined team of the Lagos State Fire Service, Federal Fire Service and the Nigerian Navy Fire Tender are currently battling to put out the inferno.

It was reported that the explosion, which occurred at about 9.00 a.m. on Sunday caused panic among Lagos residents after it shook many houses in Ijegun, Festac Town and other communities in the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area up to Agege, near Lagos.

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Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, Acting Coordinator, Lagos Territorial Office, NEMA, confirmed the development to our reporter in Lagos.

It was reported that the raging fire caused panic among the residents of Abule Egba, Ile Epo and Ekoro Road due to the thick smoke which oozed out from the explosion scene.

Farinloye said that several buildings and articulated vehicles were engulfed in the inferno which happened on Sunday night.

He noted that the cause of the incident had yet to be ascertained, saying that emergency responders immediately swung into action after receiving distress calls from some residents of the area.

“NEMA and Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) officials are here. The Lagos State Fire Service officials are here trying to put off the fire.

“We have contacted NNPC to shut down the pipelines and so far, we have been able to recover two bodies,” Farinloye said.

Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, Director General, LASEMA, also confirmed the incident in a statement.

“A raging fire from the explosion of a vandalised NNPC pipeline has caused panic among residents within Awori, U-turn and Pipeline communities in Abule Egba.

“LASEMA, Lagos Fire Service are responding and are on top of the situation,” he said.

It will be recalled that a similar incident had occurred on Dec. 5, 2019 after some suspected pipeline vandals disrupted the Atlas Cove-Mosinmi Pipeline, part of the System 2B Pipeline at Peace Estate, Varies, in Idimu axis of the state.

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The Chief Public Affairs of the service, Mr Dosunmu Jamiu, who confirmed the development, added that two other victims sustained various degrees of burnt.

“The rescued victim has been taken to the Alimosho General Hospital where he is receiving treatment,” Jamiu said in a statement.

It said, “Two people were trapped in a fire disaster at Iyana Odo Bus Stop in Idimu Local Council Development Area of Lagos state on Thursday.

Jamiu in the statement also quoted the Acting Head of Lagos State Fire Service, Mrs Adeseye Margaret, as saying that the agency would continue to serve the people of Lagos State.

Adeseye was also quoted to have said that the state fire service was determined to ensure that fire incidents were contained to the barest minimum in the state.

She said that the organisation would continue to guarantee the safety of the lives and property of the residents of the state.

The statement by the PRO said that preliminary investigation had revealed that a cleric was performing a spiritual bath for a man.

It stated that the cleric had attempted to light a candle and the spark from it ignited a fire from an oil spillage caused by pipeline vandalism .

It said that men from Ikotun Fire Station were drafted to the scene and were supported by their counterparts from Abesan Fire Station.

The spokesman in the statement also said that men from the Agege Fire Station carried out a rescue operation at No. 16, Oladimeji Oladipupo St., Enilolobo Bus Stop, Iju Ishaga.

“The rescue operation was carried out on a 24-year- old boy, Yusuf Olajide, who accidentally fell into a well.

“Olajide suspected to have died in the well was, however, rescued alive by the men of the fire service,” the statement said.

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Sanwo-Olu gave the assurance in an interview with newsmen shortly after his visit to the victims who were receiving treatment at the Trauma and Burns Centre in Gbagada General Hospital, Lagos.

The governor, who described the incident as unfortunate, expressed his condolence to families of victims who had lost their loved ones to the inferno.

“I have seen the patients; I have spoken to them and encouraged them.

“I have given my words that the management of the hospital should continue to do everything they need to do to give them comfort.

“They confirmed that they have been very supportive, and I assured them that the state government will ensure that as humanly possible, we will keep all and every one of them alive,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu said that the issue of pipeline fire caused by vandalism was a security and crime affair which the appropriate authorities were already looking into.

He appealed to residents to desist from engaging in nefarious activities, while those living in areas prone to such should report whenever they sight the vandals.

“We will not shy away from apprehending the culprits and make them to face the wrath of the law.

“Residents in that place have the emergency toll free 7-6-7; 1-1-2 number, let them call; when you see people at odd hours of the day going to those places, call the Rapid Response.

“With this, we can scale up security operatives to come there and apprehend perpetrators of this act,’’ Sanwo-Olu said.

It was reported that the fire explosion which occurred on July 4, destroyed property worth millions of naira and claimed some lives.

It was caused by vandals who were siphoning fuel from the NNPC pipelines in the axis.

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Ijegun, which has been having recurring pipeline vandalism since May 2008, is in the Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.

Our correspondent in the area reported that residents rose to the occasion and foiled what would have been another deadly explosion on Tuesday after vandals attempted to open a pipeline at a market in the community.

Speaking on the development, the Divisional Police Officer at the Isheri Oshun Police Station, SP. Rafiu Akinlade, told our correspondent that policemen responded immediately they were alerted on the vandalism.

“As soon a call got to me from the community, I immediately sent out my team but on getting there, the vandals had abandoned their tools and fled.

“However, my men have collected all the tools and pipes they came with for their operation.

“Although we are yet to apprehend the vandal, investigation is going on,” Akinlade told NAN.

A resident of Ijegun community, Mr Victor Mbuba, told our correspondent that residents became apprehensive when they heard screams, prompting scores of people to start removing their belongings.

“The smell was thick and this caused panic and fear of another explosion because the memory of the immediate past inferno was still shocking.’’

Another resident, Vitalis Okonkwo, a student, told NAN that his family ran out to safety, following shouts in the neighbourhood.

“When we perceived the fuel split all over the area, we ran out along with others in the neighborhood for fear of being trapped in another explosion.

“Most people are yet to return for fear of another explosion because anything can happen. Nobody wants a repeat of the July 4 explosion,” he said.

His neighbor, Mrs Bridget Umeorah, appealed to the Lagos State Government to provide security in the area to discourage pipeline vandalism.

On May 25, 2008, a pipeline explosion occurred in Ijegun community when a truck used in road rehabilitation damaged an oil pipeline, causing a fire outbreak that killed many people and damaged property, estimated at millions of naira.

Oil pipeline vandalism is rampant in oil-bearing Nigeria, perpetrated mainly by unscrupulous people seeking fortunes to make their living.

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Details later.

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