Gas Explosion In Nasarawa Leaves Many Death, Scores Injured

Pandemonium has erupted in Nasarawa as an explosion which rocked its capital city Lafia, has claiming the lives of unconfirmed number of people, while about 50 other persons sustained various degree of burns.

The explosion which happened on Monday morning at about 10am, was said to be as a result of a gas leakage from Monaco gas refill station located in the premises of Natson petrol station.

Naija News understands that incident occurred Monday afternoon at the popular Natson gas station.

An eyewitness, Mr Livingstone Chukwu, said the leak gas did not cause immediate damage to the gas and petrol stations until it made contact with the exhaust of commercial motorcyclists setting over 20 ablaze in an instant as cars on the road also caught fire burning the occupants.

He said: “The owner of the gas station took off to safety before the raging fire from the road eventually engulfed the petrol and gas stations burning them to ashes with all the persons in the station at the time.

According to The Nation, the casualty unit of the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH),  littered with burnt bodies of victims of the gas explosion as medical personnel of the hospital battle to save their lives.

However, the state government had directed the evacuation of all affected persons to the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, for treatment as the facilities at DASH were not enough to accommodate victims.

According to The Nation’s correspondent: “Most of them were brought in unconscious and naked as their clothes burnt off their bodies”.

“Some of the victims were caught up in the inferno as they were plying the Lafia – Abuja road, especially students of the Nasarawa State Polytechnic, Lafia who were going to the school for lectures, and persons travelling on that road as at the time of the gas explosion.

The wives of the governor, deputy governor, officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were on ground providing succour.