No fewer than four persons were reported to have sustained various degrees of injuries as fire gutted Fat Noble filling station, an independent marketing oil firm along Old Road, opposite Torikoh, Badagry, Lagos State on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the attendants were dispensing petrol inside jerry cans and sacks around 1 a.m. at the back of the station when the explosion occurred.
According to a source, those who sustained injuries were quickly rushed to the General Hospital in Badagry before the arrival of fire service men.
“They are selling fuel which is to be smuggled out of the country. Immediately, there was a sudden explosion.
“The fire destroyed some part of the station before the arrival of the men of the Lagos Fire Service.
“Those who suffered serious injuries were taken to the hospital while those with minor injuries were treated within,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the Station Head, Badagry Fire Service, Mr. Isaac Dossa, said they received an emergency call at 1.15 a.m. about the incident and they proceeded to the scene immediately.
“We got to the scene of the fire incident around 1.25 a.m. and the fire was put off around 3.55 a.m. the same day
“They have taken most of the victims of the fire incident to the general hospital before our arrival,” Dossa said.
NAN correspondent who visited the emergency unit of the hospital saw four men with various injuries laying down in pain at the unit.
Some of their relatives gathered at the entry of the hospital wanting to see them.
The Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Olatunde Bakare, said the victims were brought to the hospital around 1:30 a.m.
He said that the doctor and nurses on duty attended to them promptly.
Bakake noted that the injured are currently receiving treatment at the emergency unit of the hospital.