Two separate gas-related explosions in southern Nigeria on Saturday left at least two persons dead, several others injured, and properties worth millions of naira destroyed.
The incidents have raised fresh concerns over safety compliance and emergency response failures in Nigeria
In Calabar, a gas explosion rocked Fomex filling station on Edibe Edibe Road in the Calabar South Local Government Area about 9:40am.
Witnesses said the blast was so powerful that it shook nearby buildings, with many initially mistaking it for a bomb explosion.
Although no fatalities were recorded as of the time of filing this report, residents criticised what they described as a delayed response by both federal and state fire services, noting that emergency responders did not arrive at the scene within an hour after the incident.
The fire service unit of the University of Calabar was later contacted to intervene.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Rashid Agegbua, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment as authorities struggled to contain the aftermath of the explosion.
Meanwhile, in Lagos, tragedy struck earlier in the day when a gas-laden truck explosion claimed the lives of two men on the Lekki-Epe Expressway in the Sangotedo area.
The victims, identified as a tipper driver and his assistant, were burnt beyond recognition after their vehicle rammed into a stationary truck loaded with gas around 2am.
The impact triggered an immediate explosion, setting off a massive fire.
Officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said the inferno rapidly spread to nearby structures, engulfing three warehouses and about 10 roadside shops, including a gym and a generator house.
Emergency responders from multiple fire stations were eventually deployed in the scene and were able to bring the blaze under control, preventing further escalation.
However, several vehicles, including buses and a car, were completely destroyed.
Authorities said the driver of the gas truck escaped unhurt.
The back-to-back incidents have once again spotlighted the recurring dangers associated with the transportation and handling of petroleum products in Nigeria, as well as persistent lapses in safety enforcement and rapid emergency response mechanisms. [SaharaReporters]
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