Just in: Abule Ado Explosion: Over 100 houses, churches, cars shattered beyond repairs
More facts emerged Sunday evening on the early morning explosion that rocked FESTAC Phase II area of Abule-Ado community along Lagos Badagry Expressway, Lagos.
Though there were series of conspiracy theories as to what could have caused the explosion including bomb, pipeline and even gas plant, officials of the Lagos State Government say it cloud not give a clear answer pending the outcome of the ongoing investigations.
Though the story of an eyewitness saying that a tipper offloading sand caught fire, which spread to a nearby pipeline, triggering the blast, had been everywhere; there are serious doubts as to why the tipper fire could lead to a pipeline explosion.
Already checks at all nearby gas plant showed that they were all intact without sign of any inferno.
However, a visit to the scene Sunday evening by Business Hilights correspondent showed that several buildings both residential, churches, shops and every roofed structures within a radius of about two kilometres were forced to scatter with visibly weak pillars and walls. Most affected in the entire blast are glasses and louvers in houses and cars which shattered and flew long distances causing injuries and panic within the radius of the vicinity.
Further checks showed that buildings farer beyond two kilometres also surfaced varying degrees of damages due to the explosion.
The massive blast sparked off blaze and smoke that enveloped the entire vicinity for hours.
Plumes of smoke have been seen rising into the sky, but our correspondent on the scene says the area has been cordoned off.
An Israeli explosion expert, who explained what could have transpaired in a telephone interview confided in Business Hilights that what could have caused the entire sound, shocks and wreckage effects could be a blast coming from either a pressurised contianer/or ruptured pipeline that is unsecuredly exposed to fire or spark.
According to him, “Such explosions can be heard far away with its impacts because due to the pressure, it blasts with unprecedented force that can even kill people with lungs or heart issues who may not even closer to the epicentre.
“I suspect either a high pressured cylinder or pipeline blast. One of this could have caused the Lagos blast. But lets continue to wait for the the investiogations.
As at the last count, 16 dead bodies had been confirmed even as evacuation of students from a nearby Bethlehem Girls College are still ongoing.
However, in a telephone interview, the Director-General of LASEMA, Dr Femi Osanyintolu confirmed that the affected pipeline which went up in flames had earlier been vandalized by unknown persons.
