Gas explosion kills two in Ogun

Gas explosion at a filling station has killed two persons and injured seven others in Adigbe area of Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Thursday morning.

Apart from the casualties, the explosion also triggered an inferno which razed over seven makeshift shops, a motorcycle popularly called Okada parked near the scene before the operatives of the state Fire Service could halt the spread and the attendant destruction.

The incident occurred at about 11:00 a.m. when a welder was carrying out a repair work at RAB Engineering Petrol Station in the area.

The Ogun State Director of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Shakiru Adebakin, told journalists that the fire was caused by man-made error that could have been averted if the owner of the filling station had adopted simple safety precaution.

Adebakin said it was wrong to undertake welding activities in a petrol station without certain precautionary measures in place.

Also, the state Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Aboluwoye Akinwande, who confirmed that two people died in the incident, said quick intervention by relevant agencies prevented the fire from spreading to several places.