Ibadan Explosion: Govt Orders Residents to Evacuate Affected Areas

Segun Atanda/

The Oyo State government has ordered residents of the areas affected by yesterday evening’s explosion in Ibadan to evacuate their houses as a precautionary measure.

A female resident of Dejo Oyelese Close, off Adeyi Avenue, Old Bodija, the epicentre of the explosion, confirmed the development to Newsmakerslive.org late last night.

She disclosed that she and her family members have left their house, which was partially damaged, to seek refuge at an undisclosed location in the city.

Reports say that the impact of the explosion, which felt at about 500m radius, injured scores of people and destroyed several properties, including buildings and vehicles.

Government is yet to release a casualty figure, while the cause of the explosion remains unknown.

Fatai Owoseni, a retired commissioner of police and Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security, disclosed in a radio interview that rescuers were searching for those that may be buried under rubble of collapsed buildings.

He said the governor had instructed hospitals to admit anyone brought in from the explosion site and start attending to them immediately

He added that all hotels had also been directed to accommodate people who came in from the explosion site and around it at the state government’s expense.