The National Emergency Management Agency has said 320 shops, 78 vehicles and four residential buildings were destroyed by the Abule Egba pipeline explosion which occurred on December 19.
The spokesperson for NEMA, South-West Zone, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, who said this in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos on Sunday revealed that those whose properties were destroyed by the inferno would likely get relief materials from the Federal Government.
He said the figures were obtained from the assessment carried out by the agency at the scene of the disaster which many said was caused by vandals, who ruptured the pipeline to steal fuel from it.
Farinloye said about 320 shops including lock-up and containerised shops located on the following streets: Arowolo; Shobowale; Karonwi; Santos; Owode; Taiwo Adewole and Wamon Taofeek were affected. The leaked product had spilled to the streets before catching up with a live flame at an abattoir.
“Three hundred and twenty-one traders were affected while four residential buildings (three bungalows and one building of three-bedroomed of four flats, were destroyed. The number of families affected in the buildings was 52 while 78 vehicles were burnt but the figure could be higher. Infrastructures affected are electric poles, high-tension cables, drainage culverts.
“The Federal Government may be magnanimous to approve various relief materials to the victims who had lost their sources of livelihood. This administration has always been humane and emphatic to the plights of such victims. Based on this, FG may consider provisions of relief materials to help the victims to kick-start their lives.”
Earlier, the Vice-President of Arowolo Youth Forum, Mr Innocent Amidu, had appealed to the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government to compensate the victims of the explosion.
