The Lagos State Government on Wednesday said 276,000 people have been displaced by Sunday’s gas inferno that engulfed the Abule Ado and Soba areas of the state.

Dr Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyintolu, Director-General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), disclosed this to newsmen in Lagos while assessing the damage at the scene of the incident.

Damilola-oke, who expressed shock at the level of destruction, said the impact assessment by the agency would enable the state government to make provision for the people.

According to him, one of the rescued victims is receiving care at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital under the care of the state.

“Another is at the Nigerian Navy Hospital; one is at the Igando General Hospital with one at the Golden Cross Hospital receiving treatment on the state’s bill.

“Five schools, three churches, one hotel and a shopping complex were destroyed, the assessment of the structures were determined by the Lagos State Material Testing Department,’’ he said.

The LASEMA boss, who declined to place a figure on the number of human casualties, said that the state had a figure but that investigation was still ongoing so no figure could be made public now.

He said that the assessment team recorded 170 buildings that got damaged in the area as a result of the fire outbreak, 40 cars and three articulated vehicles.

He added that the governor had instructed that the displaced people be taken to the Igando Camp for resettlement all the agencies had made vehicles available to convey survivors to the camp.

The gas fire that occurred at 9 a.m. on Sunday had made the once commercial community desolate with heavy security presence guiding the area to forestall another crisis.

The fire was caused by a gas explosion, ruptured the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline.

(NAN)