By Hungah Peter (SIWES student,Federal Polytechnic Ilaro)
Faridat Shittu, a 4-year-old girl, along with her grandparents, are fighting for their lives at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) after a devastating cooking gas explosion rocked a three-story building in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area of Lagos.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday, also left Faridat’s uncle with severe burns as the grandmother was frying meat when the oil ignited, triggering the explosion.
Efforts to quell the flames proved futile, culminating in the explosion of the cooking gas, which tore through the structure, leaving the family and others trapped within its rubble.
Reports indicate that the young girl was asleep during the blast, which took place around 2pm. Prompt action from community members helped contain the fire and rescue the victims, as confirmed by Ibrahim Farinloye, the Territorial Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the South-West.
The building, comprising 14 rooms and shops, now lies in ruins, rendering approximately 11 families homeless, including Pa Femi Odubanwo Solomon, the landlord, who narrowly escaped with the help of his neighbors. He currently seeks refuge in a nearby church.
In addition to this tragedy, a separate fire outbreak on the same day ravaged around 100 building material shops, 18 iron/steel recycling shops, 19 diesel lister generators, and 34 motorcycle machines in the Abule-Egba area. The inferno also consumed five 14-seaters buses, three cars, and two trucks.
The Chairman of Ojokoro LCDA, along with his medical team, has been providing aid to the victims of both incidents, extending support and assistance during this challenging time.
