London, Dec. 5, 2019 (AltAfrica)-The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says the ruptured pipeline that caused explosion in Lagos on Thursday will be put back into operation shortly and will have no impact on the supply of fuel as the yuletide approaches

A release to Alternativeafrica.com by Samson Makoji, the Acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the corporation said the corporation, in conjunction with the Lagos State Fire Service, had deployed various categories of personnel to the scene to bring the fire under control and ensure immediate repairs

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The corporation said preliminary reports of the incident indicated that the pipeline might have been torched by act of vandalism of suspected oil thieves who had hacked into the line to intercept flow of petrol. 

“NNPC assured the general public that the pipeline will be put back into operation shortly, while the breach has no impact on petroleum products supply in the area 

“The corporation confirmed that it has 116million litres of PMS in Mosimi Depot, 7.5million litres in Satellite Depot and 35million litres in Ibadan depots, all within System 2B network” says the statement

A leading Nigerian newspaper, The Punch reports that two yet-to-be-identified persons lost their lives as a result of the explosion while another yet-to-be-identified victim, who was said to have sustained “70 degree burns,” was taken to the Igando General Hospital, where doctors are reportedly battling to save his life.

The paper gathered that the three victims were having spiritual bath in a stream in the area when the fire started and subsequently burned two of them to death.

According to residents in the area, the pastor conducting the spiritual cleansing, upon sighting the fire, ran away and abandoned the victims.

The PUNCH had reported that the fire incident was caused by the activities of suspected vandals who ruptured the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation’s pipeline in the area in a bid to steal fuel.

The ruptured pipeline was said to have been spilling fuel continuously, leading to the fire incident that razed four locations in the community.

The Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Nosa Okunbor, in an updated reaction to the fire incident said, “Two people were burnt to death, and another victim who sustained 70 degree burns has been taken to Igando General Hospital for treatment.

“What we gathered from bystanders was that the victims were performing spiritual cleansing when the fire met them there and burnt them.

“But the pastor escaped and ran away.

“We saw the sponges used for the cleansing at the scene of the fire incident.

“Rescue and recovery operations is ongoing.”