The Group Managing Director(GMD)of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari has confirmed the explosion which rocked Abule Ado Area of Lagos State in the early hours Sunday.
The GMD who is currently at the scene with other top Management of the Corporation for an on-the-spot assessment of the incident disclosed that the gas explosion occurred after a truck hit some gas cylinders stacked in a gas processing plant located near the corporation’s system 2B Pipeline right of way.
According to the NNPC spokesperson,Kennie Obateru the Corporation, following
the report of the explosion, quickly stopped ongoing pumping operations on the
Atlas Cove-Mosimi pipeline which was active at the time to avert further
tragedy.
While assesing the damage Kyari said preliminary findings indicated that the impact of the explosion was so huge that it led to the collapse of nearby houses and damage to NNPC pipeline on which efforts are being made to combat the fire.
As at the time of filling this report the NNPC had already mobilized its in-house combined team consisting of Health Safety Environment experts, Medical and Security personnel from its nearby Satellite Depot in Lagos and the Mosimi Area Office to provide extra fillip to the ongoing operation.
Kyari, however commiserated with the victims of the incident, praying that God provides them succor at this hour. He also assured that the temporary shutdown of the petroleum products pipeline would not affect supply of products to Lagos.
