Fire fighters yet to access pipeline explosion site

FROM PUNCH NEWS

Officials of the Federal and state fire services, the Pipelines Products Marketing Company, PPMC, and National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, yesterday, were yet to gain access to the site of the pipeline explosion at the Ije-Ododo community, Iba Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Lagos State, to extinguish the fire.

But NEMA is said to have commenced building a foot bridge in order to gain access to the site.

Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, NEMA spokesman, disclosed this yesterday, near the marshy site of the explosion, which has continued smouldering almost 72 hours after it happened.


Raging flames

He said that the construction of the plank bridge was a collaborative effort between the agency and the indigenes of the area, as well as the NNPC, because of the swampy terrain.

“We had to wait for the sons of the soil and the officials of the NNPC before we could move into gaining access to the site,“ he said.

Farinloye explained that exigencies of safety demanded the presence of specialists before anyone could make the last 100 metres or so to the spot of the explosion.

According to reports, armed policemen arrived the scene, alongside a team of the Pipelines Products and Marketing Company, PPMC, at about 12:40 p.m. yesterday, to ensure that the spot could be accessed and examined.

Community demands …

The residents also demanded for the construction of a concrete bridge or sand filling of the axis to serve as a link road to the ever busy Badagry expressway.

The Baale of Ije-Ododo, Alhaji Tajudeen Suberu, said that the demand of the community “is that the PPMC should repair the electric poles and cables that were damaged by the pipeline explosion.”

The Baale also urged the government to repair the road of the community.

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