Gas Explosion Kills Two In Akwa Ibom

Gas Explosion Kills Two In Akwa Ibom

Two persons have been killed in a tragic gas explosion that occurred along Nwaniba road, in Uyo local government area of Akwa Ibom State.

It was gathered that the incident occurred two weeks ago in the morning hours when one of the deceased used his handset for illumination while striking the match to light his gas cylinder, which unknowingly to him had a leakage.

According to sources close to the compound of the victims, the cylinder immediately exploded, killing him and one other person.

The source said, ”The incident occurred on Wednesday, October 6 in the morning. Everywhere was still dark. One of the tenants, a 21-year-old stayed in a one-room apartment and wanted to cook in the early hours before going to work. He lit the gas cooker, not knowing that it was leaking.

”I was staying in my room. I heard a large explosion. By the time I rushed out to the room, there was a cloud of thick smoke all over the room. The fire was raging. No one could enter. We had to call the Fire Service and the staff rushed down and put off the inferno that could have razed the entire building.’’

Confirming the incident in an interview with our correspondent on Wednesday, the director of the Akwa Ibom State Fire Service, Ubong Umoh said the explosion was caused as a result of the phone light

Umoh lamented that his organisation had, on several occasions, sensitised users of gas cylinders against using mobile phones when cooking but to no avail.

He said, “Two persons were killed in the gas explosion and it happened because one of them was using phone light and this is what we in the fire department have been preaching against; that people should not use phone light near the gas cooker.”