Principal of Bethlehem Girls College, Rev. Sister Henrietta Alokha, was among those who lost their lives on Sunday following a gas explosion in Abule-Ado, near the International Trade Fair Complex, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos.
Sis. Alokha died trying to rescue the boarding pupils whose school was among several buildings affected by the explosion.
Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said 17 people died while 25 were injured.
Residents and sympathisers joined emergency workers in the rescue of pupils.
In several videos on social media, the pupils are seen being lifted through the school’s fence to safety.
Those rescued are also seen running away from the scene.
More than 50 buildings in the area were affected by the explosion, with hundreds of residents made homeless.
Several vehicles parked in the area were also destroyed by the explosion.
The explosion occurred around 9 am after a truck hit gas cylinders in a gas processing plant.
The gas plant was located near the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s System 2B pipeline’s right of way.
Churchgoers in the area also said they felt the impact as windows were shattered.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, after visiting the scene, instructed officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency to release personal safety equipment, such as face and nose protection masks, to first responders and residents of the affected area.
In a statement, Mr Sanwo-Olu said the protective equipment would prevent any form of medical hazards, such as respiratory infections, by the residents who might unknowingly inhale toxic substances from the explosion.
The Staff Officer, Western Naval Command, Oladele Daji, told journalists that the injured pupils had been stabilised at the Navy Hospital, adding that those who had fully recovered would be discharged soon.
