Three lives lost, ten houses, properties worth millions of naira destroyed at Abule-Egba Fire

Two male adults and a baby boy of about three-years-old, are said to be casualties at the Abule -Egba/Ilepo pipeline fire outbreak, where over ten houses with properties worth millions of naira were also destroyed. 

The inferno which started about 7 p.m. on Sunday evening was alleged to have been caused by suspected petroleum pipeline vandals, who had tempered with an NNPC petroleum pipeline in the area,  to syphon products. 

Lagos Explosion: 5 lives including 5 year-old baby found dead – LASEMA

Investigation revealed that the vandalism came with trucks and several jerricans to syphon petroleum product, when tragedy occurred. 

According to the Director-General(DG), of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA),  Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, it took the swift response of the agency and other First Responders mobilized to the incident site, to successfully curtail the inferno.

Oke-Osanyintolu said: “  The inferno has been completely put off with details revealing that the valve where the vandalised petroleum products emanated from, had been stopped cutting off supply totally from source at the NNPC Station. 

“ This collaborative act by the NNPC eased the entire recovery process in no small measure, as supply of the highly inflammable fluid was cut off at source which contributed immensely to curtailing the resultant fire from acts of the pipeline vandals.

“ Though preliminary report on the Ilepo fire outbreak had it that it was a pipeline fire which cause could not be ascertained, however, Situational Report from further investigations later revealed that the inferno was as a result of pipeline vandalism.

“ Going further, the report have it that two adults and one young male lives were lost to the inferno, with 11 trucks laden with 40feet containers destroyed, while about Seven buildings were razed down by the inferno.”

The LASEMA DG noted that the quick success in putting off the inferno, aside being attributed to adequate training of personnel, quick response time and acquisition of proper equipment by the Governor Babajide Sanwo–Olu led administration, was also attributed to the outcome of interagency collaboration which made the operation and recovery process fast and smooth.