Death Toll Rises to Over 1,100 in Lagos Explosions

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, January 29, 2002

Death Toll Rises to Over 1,100 in Lagos Explosions

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Death toll has rose to over 1,100 in a series of bomb explosions as a result of a fire incident at an ammunition depot of the Ikeja military barracks in Lagos, the News Agency of Nigeria reported on Monday.

More than 500 recovered bodies were on display at Oke-Afa and 600 others were displayed for identification at Ajao estate, the report said.

The two places are near the Ikeja military cantonment.

Many of the dead are children and babies who drowned in Oke Afa canal and nearby Ejigbo canal as thousands of terrified residents fled the scene of the blasts.

Some rescue workers said hundreds of bodies are still trapped in Ejigbo canal and they need the help of naval men to accelerate recovery of the bodies.

According to the witnesses, the incident occurred around 6:00 p. m. (1700GMT) on Sunday and more than 25 deafening explosions shook buildings and shattered windows around the Ikeja area, the location of the large army barracks.

Meanwhile, Ikeja Military Cantonment, rocked by explosion from a fire at its ammunition depot on Sunday, has become a "refugee camp" as displaced persons returned to their destroyed homes.

As the fire from the explosion continues smoldering and bomb explosions still erupted occasionally, families separated by the incident were still trying to locate each other with some parents looking for their children and some children looking for their parents.

"Many people have reported missing children, and there are children looking for their parents," Lagos Police Commissioner Mike Okiro said.

The police, army and security agencies were seen to try their utmost to ensure that displaced people reunite with their families as soon as possible.

In the wake of the incident, President Olusegun Obasanjo early Monday inspected the scene and directed the authorities to provide relief materials and accommodation for displaced persons.

In another development, Chief of Army Staff Alex Ogomudia has announced establishment of a board of inquiry to probe into the causes of the explosions.

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