Vehicles burnt as gas explodes in Lagos filling station

Several people sustained injuries and numerous vehicles were destroyed after a gas explosion sparked a fire at the Mobil Filling Station near the Airport Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos State. According to reports, the explosion occurred around 10:49 a.m. on Thursday, creating panic among residents and business owners in the area. Fortunately, no casualties were reported at the scene.

An attendant at the station, who wished to remain anonymous, recounted the incident, saying, “I was serving a customer when I heard a loud noise from the gas point. Before I could process what was happening, the vehicles parked near the gas truck were already engulfed in flames. My colleagues, customers, and I quickly fled the scene. The fire started while a gas truck was refilling the storage tank.”

An eyewitness, identified only as Tunde, noted the rapid spread of the fire, which made it impossible for anyone to move their vehicles out of the station. He added, “The fire spread so quickly that no one could react in time. We tried to contain it before the firefighters arrived, but it was overwhelming. It could have been much worse if the station had been crowded due to fuel scarcity.”

Adamu, a fruit seller who was nearby when the explosion occurred, confirmed that the fire started while a gas tanker was discharging its contents into an above-ground storage tank. “The explosion was intense. I saw yellow buses taking at least three people to the hospital,” he said.

This account was corroborated by Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Maintenance Agency. He stated that their investigation revealed that the pipe of an eight-ton LPG gas cylinder was damaged during the refilling process, leading to a rapid gas leak that ignited and caused the explosion. Oke-Osanyintolu added that further investigation would be conducted to determine the exact cause of the incident.

He reported that the explosion resulted in severe burns for two adult males and minor injuries for around seven others. Approximately 10 vehicles, both commercial and private, were damaged, along with parts of a nearby two-storey building. “All injured parties were promptly rescued and provided with immediate medical attention by the agency’s pre-hospital care team, in collaboration with LASAMBUS. They were later transferred to LASUTH for further treatment,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.

The fire was successfully contained by the combined efforts of the agency’s LRT and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, preventing it from spreading further. The site has been cordoned off to ensure safety and restore normalcy.

Oke-Osanyintolu also revealed that two LPG gas cylinders, one weighing 12 tons and the other eight tons, were secured at the premises to prevent additional explosions.

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, in a statement on its X.com handle, confirmed that its crew found a gas truck discharging its contents into an above-ground storage tank when it ignited. The resulting fire engulfed “eight vehicles, including the tanker itself, and affected parts of the uppermost floor of a nearby two-storey building.” The exact number of victims could not be determined, but those injured were taken to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja for treatment.

This incident follows a similar explosion in late April in the Ajegunle-Apapa area of Lagos State, which injured nine people, including a pregnant woman. That explosion was reportedly caused by a gas leak that ignited a high-tension cable, sparking a fire in an area known for gas cylinder trading activities.