Lagos, March 16, 2020 The Archbishop of Lagos, Alfred Martins, on Monday commiserated with families who lost their loved ones during the explosion that happened in Abule Odo area of Lagos on Sunday.
Martins, in a statement, also commended the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Red Cross Society and the various security agencies for their prompt response during the incident.
“We do not have an official duly investigated explanation for the explosion yet.
“All we know is that a truck accident was involved, the pipeline going through the community was involved as well as a stack of gas cylinders.
“These devastating explosions affected our Bethlehem Girls College, Abule Ado as well as many other buildings in the vicinity.
“Unfortunately, the administrator of the school, Rev. Sr. Henrietta Alokha, and one female security guard died in the process of taking care that the students were safe,” he said.
The archbishop said Alokha and other staff that died paid the supreme price in their bid to lead all the students to safety.
“May their souls rest in peace. No priest died during the incident. The priest who was celebrating the Mass helped in rescuing the students and he himself is safe,” he said.
Martins said the incident occurred while the students and staff were at Sunday Mass.
“With the help of the first respondents, all the students were rescued and some that were injured were rushed to the hospitals.
“The other students have been released to their parents and gone to their different homes. We want to state that all students of the school are reported safe.
“Those who sustained injuries were promptly attended to in various hospitals within the environs.
“We are getting our Education Department along with the Administrators of other Archdiocesan schools to see how the students of Bethlehem Girls College can be accommodated in the other schools,” he said.
The archbishop said that the staff quarters, administrative building, the refectory and hostel buildings were levelled to the ground as a result of the impact of the explosion.
“We are grateful to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his call to express the sympathy of the government and for setting up a committee to investigate the explosion.
“We wish to commiserate with the families of all those who died in this sad incident.
“We pray for the repose of the souls of the departed and the quick healing of those who were injured.
“Our prayer at this period is that the Good Lord will grant eternal rest to the faithful departed and strengthen all of us with the fortitude to bear the effect of this disaster,” he said.
