Woman reacts to destruction and the sight of burnt bodies at the scene of a gas pipeline explosion near Nigeria\'s commercial capital Lagos.Photos courtesy by REUTERS/Alertnet - Photographer: Akintunde Akinleye
REUTERS/Alertnet - Photographer: Akintunde Akinleye
Teams of Nigerian Red Cross Society volunteers have responded in the wake of a massive gas pipe line explosion that claimed at least 260 lives in Ilado, a village about 40 kilometres east of the city of Lagos on Tuesday 26 December. The explosion is believed to have been the result of people attempting to steal petroleum from pipes.
Stephen Omollo, head of the International Federation’s Regional Office in Lagos, says that Red Cross volunteers were amongst the first on the scene, quickly establishing a base of operations, evacuating survivors and providing first aid and psychological support.
“The Red Cross erected an emergency tent to provide first aid and counselling for survivors, and for families of those killed and onlookers who were traumatised by the horrific scene,” he said. “People immediately rushed to the site when they heard and felt the explosion and many of them collapsed when they saw what had happened.”
Three Red Cross ambulances also arrived quickly and were used to take survivors to nearby hospitals.
The incident is the latest in a string of similar explosions that have claimed hundreds of lives in recent years. Although Nigeria is sub-Saharan Africa's largest producer of oil, many Nigerians are unable to get enough fuel through official channels and thus rely on the thriving black market trade in stolen gas. A reliance that has seen gas theft – and the inevitable tragic outcomes – increase.
Red Cross volunteers are now moving into villages close to the explosion site in an effort to find and assist people who were injured in the explosion but who fled the scene fearing prosecution.
“We are urging anyone we find who is injured to go to the hospital,” says Omollo. “The injuries and burns that people have sustained are serious, and it is important that people seek treatment even if they are worried about getting in trouble.”
According to Omollo, many animals were also killed by the explosion and their charred corpses are likely to present serious health risks. The Red Cross has procured chemicals and equipment and will disinfect the affected area over the coming days.