- Rescue Workers Intensify Search For Survivors At Ibadan Explosion Site
- Oyo Government, Police Call For Calm
- Uncertainty, Confusion Trail Actual Cause, Figure Of Dead
It was a black Tuesday as an explosion rocked Aderinola Street, a government residential area of Bodija in Ibadan, sending shock waves across the Oyo State capital.
Unconfirmed reports have it that no fewer than 10 persons were killed in Tuesday’s night explosion.
The Matrix reports that rescue operations were ongoing at the site of the incident while bodies of the dead victims have been recovered from the site and taken away in ambulances.
Rescue workers intensified their operations to retrieve persons believed to be trapped under the rubbles of the collapsed structures as a result of the explosion.
There was no official statement yet regarding the cause of the explosion and extent of its impact, which reverberated across the Bodija area of Ibadan city.
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In worrisome development, there was a panic amongst the people after the explosion rocked the ancient city, with buildings collapsing due to terrific vibration.
Residents, who spoke with Channels Television, said houses and cars far from the scene of the explosion were impacted by the blast wave.
“We heard a loud bang around 07:30pm. Dominos shattered, Ace Mall in Bodija destroyed,” a panic-stricken resident told our correspondent over the phone.
The number of casualties could not be confirmed as of press time but it was gathered that victims have been rushed to hospitals while some residents are trapped in the rubble of buildings that caved in due to the impact of the blast.
The Zonal Coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the South-West, Saheed Akiode, told Channels Television in a phone conversation that emergency responders including the operatives of the Fire Service in Oyo State have been deployed to the scene of the incident on Awolowo Way by Adeyi Avenue, behind a Central Mosque, in Bodija.
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According to the commissioner for information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, in a statement released on Monday, security service chiefs including para military chiefs and fire operatives have been deployed by the governor to rein-in the spillover from the explosion.
The statement read “Residents of Ibadan and immediate environ experienced an uncommon explosion about 8pm this evening.
“There are various interpretations of the incident but it is important for us to state categorically that the state government has taken over and in full control of the unfortunate occurrence in order to mitigate the incident.
“All security service chiefs including para military chiefs and fire operatives have been deployed by the governor to reign-in the spillover from the explosion.
“His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde therefore implores citizens to calm down and rest assured that their interests are being looked after.”
In an update, the state government said, “Relevant agencies are carrying out search and rescue operations at the scene of the incident.”
Similarly, the Oyo State Police Command in a post on X confirmed the explosion.
“Explosion around Dejo Oyelese Street Bodija Ibadan around 7:44pm today Tuesday 16/01/2024. The cause of the explosion is unknown. Number of Dead and Injured yet unknown as search continues. Ample deployment on ground. Updates coming up soon” the statement said.
It would be recalled that confusion had gripped the city of Ibadan as a loud explosion rattled several houses, causing damage across multiple locations.
According to X users, the incident happened at Bodija, a suburb of the city, around 7.00pm.
Though details of the explosion and cause remain sketchy as of the time of this report, some social media users claimed that it was a gas explosion.
Videos posted on various X handles showed blown-out windows in houses and a collapsed ceiling at a shopping mall in Bodija area of the city.
Another viral video shows a pick-up van conveying about three critically wounded persons to the hospital.
As at the time of filing in this report on Wednesday morning, efforts were still being made to rescue victims of the blast from the rubble.Hide original message
