Scores of people were killed and many vehicles burnt following a gas explosion at Monaco Gas filling station on Monday in Lafia, Nasarawa state.
An eyewitness, Saidu Hussaini, told Daily Trust that the explosion has killed many people who are passing along the road closed to the gas station.
“I saw more than 10 corpses, and the corpses were from the passersby whose vehicles, motorcycles and tricycles were affected by the explosion,” he narrated.
He added that apart from the dead, many vehicles, motorcycles and tricycles were also burnt down within the gas station and neighbouring areas.
The state Sector Commandant, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Faustina Alegbe, told Daily Trust that two persons has been confirmed dead out of the 37 casualties in the explosion, adding that FRSC personnel evacuated all affected persons to the hospital for medical attention.
The Public Relations Officer of Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital in Lafia, Deborah Dangara, confirmed that corpses and casualties from the explosion were brought to the hospital, but declined to give the number of deaths recorded until they get comprehensive reports.
She revealed that all the medical staff at the hospital have suspended all other activities to attend to victims of the explosion.
The Chief Fire Officer of the state fire service, Dogara Dalhatu, said the situation is under control as the affected individuals have been evacuated to the hospital.
When contacted, the acting Public Relations Officer Nasarawa state Police Command, ASP Samaila Usman, confirmed the incident.
He said no live was lost yet adding that 36 people who sustained various degree of injuries in the inferno are now receiving medical attention.
Usman added that the police and other security operatives and safety agencies are monitoring the situation to ensure that the affected victims get necessary medical services.
Meanwhile, Nasarawa state House of Assembly says it would soon come up with a law that would stop gas activities within urban cities across the state.
Speaker of the House, Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, who made this known when he led other members to the gas station, over the explosion to sympathized with victims of the inferno. He prayed God to grant the souls of those who lost their lives eternal rest.
“This kind of business supposed to be at the outskirt of the city but we as members of assembly are going to come up with a law to stop this type of activities in the heart of the city.
“This is a responsibility and it must be carried out very soon. We are going to enact a law that will stop gas activities (business) in the heart of a town, that is what we must do as a legislature because we cannot fold our hands to allow these things to continue,” Abdullahi said.