Nineteen persons have now been confirmed dead and scores of other persons were injured from the gas explosion which rocked the Abule-Ado area of Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State on Sunday.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has stated that over 50 buildings were destroyed in the explosion.

At least 60 students of Bethlehem Girls College located within the area sustained various degrees of injuries.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said the explosion occurred after a truck hit some gas cylinders stacked in a gas processing plant located near the NNPC’s System 2B Pipeline Right of Way.

The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, was at the scene of the incident yesterday for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

The Chief Executive Officer of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu appealed to Lagos residents to remain calm. “We are on top of this. When we come up with the details of the investigation, we will tell you the casualty figure,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Executive Governor of Lagos state,Babajide Sanwo-Olu has set up a N2 billion relief fund for victims of yesterday’s explosion in the state.

He made this disclosure while addressing journalists at the scene of the explosion on Monday.