(UPDATE ON COLLAPSED BUILDING) Bomb scare, as Kogi Deputy Gov's house collapses in Lagos

An early morning explosion which rocked a house in Dolphin Estate, Lagos on Saturday has left at least six persons injured, including the wife of the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Mrs Tokunbo Awoniyi.The house is located at No. 19, HFP Way, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, and is said to belong to the Kogi State Deputy Governor, Mr Yomi Awoniyi.The explosion which occurred at aboutsaw a lot of persons running for their lives, thinking it was a bomb blast.The affected house is a twin duplex of four bed rooms. The explosion totally affected house No. 19, while the neighbouring house No. 20 was partially affected.An eye witness said that neighbours heard the bang of the explosion in house No 19 aroundand a few minutes later, the building came down with a loud noise.The witness alleged that dust from the collapsed building later covered the entire area, creating panic among the residents of the area who ran helter-skelter.Policemen from both the Anti-Bomb Squad and the Disaster Management Unit of the Nigeria Police Force later moved to the site.The policemen combed the vicinity to ensure that there were no other explosive materials in the area.Officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and Federal Fire Service were also on ground to carry out rescue work.At least four persons have so far been rescued from under the rubble of the collapsed house.Though the identities of the rescued victims could not be ascertained as at press time, but a source disclosed that one of them is Mrs Awoniyi.The source also disclosed that a second victim was a driver attached to the Lagos residence of the Kogi State Deputy Governor. He was said to be washing his boss' car at the time the house came down.All four rescued persons were rushed to Saint Maria Hospital, Yaba, where they are currently being treated.Meanwhile, security operatives barred journalists from coming near the scene of the building collapse.The Public Relations Officer ( PRO), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), South West Region, Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed to our correspondent that four persons had been rescued from the collapse house by emergency workers.He stated that "the building was affected by a gas cylinder explosion which occurred around."We were told that as at the time of the collapse, three occupants of the house where inside while a driver was washing a car outside. No death has been recorded so far, but the four injured victims have been evacuated to hospital," he added.He stated further that officials from the Lagos State Building Control Agency would soon move into the place.Some people living in the vicinity were seen moving out of the area.Farinloye advised residents to go back to their respective houses, stressing that what happened was merely gas cylinder explosion and not bomb explosion as being feared by the people.
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