Nigeria blast prompts collapsing houses: 2 killed, 77 injured
Nigeria blast prompts collapsing houses (ayfo.org)
Explosives stored at a private residence detonated in the Oyo state of Nigeria on Tuesday, resulting in at least two fatalities and numerous injuries, according to Governor Seyi Makinde, Reuters reports.
Witnesses reported that the powerful blast caused several houses to collapse, prompting frightened residents to rush into the streets for safety.
"Preliminary investigations by the security agencies revealed that illegal miners occupying one of the houses in Bodija had stored explosive devices there which caused the blast," the official said.
Governor Makinde confirmed the loss of two lives. He also informed that 77 people were treated for injuries, but the majority had already been discharged from medical care.
The impact of the blast was so intense that it could be heard in Ibadan, the capital of the state, located 130 km (80 miles) away from Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos.
In response to the incident, Governor Makinde assured that search and rescue operations were actively in progress. He also pledged that the state government would offer temporary accommodation to those who had lost their homes as a result of the explosion.
Other similar incidents
On January 9, a big explosion happened at an old hotel in Fort Worth, Texas in the U.S. 21 people were injured, with one in critical condition. The hotel, called Sandman Signature, was being worked on, and a gas leak is considered to have caused the blast.
