Gas explosion: Controversy trails death of five in Lagos
…LPG marketers fault reports
Yesterday’s explosion of gas that killed five people when cylinders at a gas retailing Centre exploded in Lagos has generated controversy.
Nigerian NewsDirect reports learnt that the gas centre is located at Ojekunle Street, Ladipo Spare Part market area of Lagos.
The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, confirmed the accident, noting that there are also many casualties.
According to Ibrahim Farinloye, Coordinator South West of NEMA who confirmed the casualty figure, the fire had been put out but rescue operatuons still ongoing.
He said the boy was rescued alive but died on the way to the hospital.
Farinloye said the casualties included three males and one female identified as Mama Funmi.
Lagos State Fire Service, Police Disaster Management Unit, NEMA and LASEMA participated in rescue operations.
The Executive Secretary of National Association of LPG Marketers (NALPGAM), Bassey Essien, noted that the explosion, which rocked Lagos killing five people including the 10 year-old boy, has nothing to do with cooking gas.
According to him, “One thing is very clear, it appears headlines of gas explosions seem to draw so much attention. It’s not unexpected especially with the current headlines that have heralded the situation of cooking gas in the country and awareness and campaigns for people to covert to the usage of LPG for cooking particularly.”
The ES said the agency is always taking time to educate the public and press on incidences that are attributed to Gas explosions.
There are many types of gases, there is the LPG (popularly known as cooking gas), there is oxygen gas (both medical and industrial), acetylene gas which can be summarized into the following types and their uses.
- Oxygen (O2): medical use, welding
- Nitrogen (N2): fire suppression, provides an inert atmosphere
- Helium (He): balloons, medical equipment
- Argon (Ar): welding, provides an inert atmosphere for materials
- Carbon dioxide (CO2): carbonated soft drinks
- Acetylene (C2H2): welding
- Propane (C3H8): fuel for heat, gas grills
- Butane (C4H10): fuel for lighters and torches
- Nitrous oxide (N2O): propellant for whipped topping, anesthesia
- Freon (various chlorofluorocarbons): coolant for air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers.
The explosion that was reported today was actually caused as a result of improper handling of welding gas(acetylene gas) and in no way attributed to cooking gas.
Acetylene will ignite at mixtures from 2.5 percent to 82 percent, while the range for propane(a component part of LPG used mostly in Europe and America) 2.1 percent to 9.5 percent. Propane is much safer to use than acetylene. However, keep in mind that these are both flammable gases, and both need to be handled with care.
However most of the people dealing in welding gas and carbide have little or no knowledge of what they are handling thus do not most times exercise duty of care in their handling hence we have always advocated for the agencies supervising these industrial gases to pay attention to their handling and usage.
So the explosion was not due to cooking gas but rather welding gas(acetylene gas).
Essien in a reaction shared on on the accident, insisted that all reports that named Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) otherwise known as cooking gas as being responsible for the incident are not correct.
“It’s not an LPG related accident but rather acetylene gas used for welding,” Essien declared.
