Several dead as explosions rock Lagos

Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Mr. Umar Manko

People living in Apapa and its environ were Wednesday night shaken by a reverberating sound of explosions, which occurred when a tanker carrying fuel burst into flames.

Unconfirmed reports indicate about seven persons were killed by the explosions.

Details were still sketchy at the time of report, but there were indications that the explosions occurred almost at the same time, with the first at the entrance to the Folawiyo tank farm and the other inside the facility.

Two petrol tankers were said to be involved in the explosions. The trucks were said to have caught fire after they exploded.

We learnt that the fire that followed the explosion inside the terminal was immediately contained by firemen at the wharf.

Incident was accidental and not an act of terrorism as initially speculated.

Both the Lagos State Police Command's Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, and

the Director, State Fire Service, Rasaq Fadipe, confirmed the incident.

Fadipe was quoted in a report by Punch as dismissing any terrorist links.

He said it was a gas explosion and not a suicide bombing as claimed by some eyewitnesses.

Nonof the agencies were ready to offer fuller explanations