Abule-Ado Explosion: Death Toll Now 21, 2 Missing, 480 Homeless

By Timothy Ojo

The last may not have been heard on the gas/pipeline explosion that rocked the Abule-Ado community in Lagos on March 15, 2020.

At a news conference, Thursday, the Lagos State Emergency Agency Relief, LASEMA, announced that another body had been recovered, bringing the total number of deaths, so far, to 21.

And the number may still rise as the organization disclosed that two persons were still missing, adding that at least 480 persons were rendered homeless by the disaster which shook Lagos like an earthquake.

Also at the press conference, LASEMA announced that it had begun a verification exercise among the affected residents of the community.

The disaster which rendered 480 people homeless, and destroyed properties worth billions of naira, attracted national and international attention with bashing the government for allowing residential buildings near a pipeline’s right of way, thereby making the disaster inevitable.

However, Lagos State Government, in collaboration with the Federal Government, has moved to bring succor to victims of the disaster, with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announcing a relief package of N2 billion.

The State Government, however, said search was still ongoing at the site of the explosions, as there were hopes that more bodies may be recovered from the rubble and ruins.

LASEMA’s Director-General, Dr Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyintolu, who briefed the media on the update, said: “The teams will continue to carry out recovery and salvage operations at the incident site.”

At the briefing, LASEMA also announced that the verification exercise began Thursday afternoon, and had seen more than 300 persons.