A ‘stubborn’ customer’s actions reportedly triggered the fire that razed a Lagos filling station, causing widespread damage.
According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), a motorist is responsible for causing the destructive fire that engulfed a Mobil Filling Station in Lagos on Thursday.
There was a gas leak at the station when the hose for refueling disengaged while fuel and gas were being sold to customers, according to NEMA’s X (Twitter) handle.
According to the agency, attendants were prompted to immediately stop sales and instruct customers not to start their car engines due to a development. However, despite this safety directive, one customer defied it which ultimately resulted in the fire.
On Thursday, August 8th in the year 2024, there was a gas fire incident at the Mobil filling station located near Lagos Airport Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos.
At around 11 am today, August 8th, 2024, a distress call about a gas fire at the Mobil Filling Station was attended to by the NEMA Lagos Territorial Office (LTO).
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Next to Lagos Airport Hotel, situated in Ikeja, Lagos.
After reaching the location, it was discovered that there wasn’t any gas discharge or transloading in progress. Instead, the station was vending fuel and gas to its patrons when a hose used for refueling disconnected resulting in a leakage of gas.
The attendants promptly halted the fuel sale and advised customers against starting their car engines. Tragically, despite these warnings, a customer still ignited a fire by starting their vehicle’s engine. The flames rapidly engulfed other passing vehicles at the gas station.
Eight cars and a gas truck were engulfed in flames during the incident, causing partial damage to an adjacent two-story building belonging to Mobil. A male victim sustained 70% burns while a female suffered 90%. Both victims are receiving medical attention at LASUTH. Furthermore, four members of the Mobil team with minor injuries received treatment on-site.
The incident scene was cordoned off by NEMA LTO officials, and stakeholders relevant to controlling the fire were in attendance.
