10 victims of Ijegun explosion die in hospital —Lagos Govt.

The Lagos State Government said on Monday that 10 victims of the July 4 Ijegun pipeline explosion have died due to severe and high degree burns suffered from the inferno.

The Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Health, Dr Titilayo Goncalves, made this known on Monday in Lagos State.

She said that three of the victims died at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja while seven died at Gbagada General Hospital.

According to her, out of the 22 victims rescued by the Lagos State Ambulance Service, nine were taken to LASUTH, 12 to Trauma and Burns Unit of Gbagada General Hospital and one to Alimosho General Hospital.

“Unfortunately, due to the high degree of burns suffered by these victims which is almost 100 per cent, we lost 10 of them.

“But we are doing everything possible to ensure that no other life is lost and we will continue to do all in our might to provide intensive care for the remaining and from reports received they are responding to treatment.

Recall that the inferno resulted from an explosion at a vandalised point of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s product pipeline in the Ijegun area of the Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area on Thursday, which led to the death of two persons, while scores of residents were injured and properties worth several millions of naira destroyed.

Unconfirmed report said the spillage occurred when some yet-to-be identified vandals were ambushed by security agents, while scooping fuel from a punctured NNPC pipeline.

The vandals, in an attempt to escape from the scene, were said to have left the punctured point open as fuel spilled all over the area, including the drainage channel connecting Irede Street and the canal on the Catholic Church Street.

While another account had it that the vandals set the spilled fuel on fire in order to escape arrest, another stated that a motorist, who had attempted to start his engine in the area, caused the explosion.