Pipeline explosion hits Nigeria’s economic hub, students rescued

LAGOS Some school children near the explosion site, which rocked Abule Ado area of Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub, have been rescued from the collapsed school building, a government official said Sunday.

Valentine Buraimoh, chairman of Amuwo Odofin local government area, who confirmed this to reporters, said the boarding school collapsed following the explosion. The massive explosion rocked neighboring areas, sparking a massive blaze that has destroyed nearby buildings including a boarding school. Ibrahim Farinloye of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) told Xinhua that over 50 buildings were destroyed. Farinloye said the cause of the incident and casualty figure was currently unknown as rescue operations are still going on in the affected area. He said the resulting fire, from the explosion, later spread to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) oil pipeline passing through the area, although though the pipeline has been shut down as a precautionary measure. According to him, a combined team of the Lagos State Fire Service, Federal Fire Service, and the Nigerian Navy Fire Tender are currently battling to put out the inferno. Farinloye said the explosion was not caused by a disruption of the NNPC oil pipeline. Farinloye, NEMA’s acting coordinator in Lagos, said contrary to information earlier put out on the social media, the explosion which occurred at about 9 a.m, local time, was unconnected to pipeline vandalism.

“From the information given by officials of the Lagos State Fire Service who are currently on the ground, the implosion is not connected to pipeline but might have occurred in a factory located in the Abule Ado area,” he added. The explosion caused panic among Lagos residents after it shook many houses in different parts of the state.

(Xinhua)