Over 100 houses were destroyed by a cooking gas explosion in Jamata, a community in the Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The explosion, which occurred on Wednesday, resulted in the collapse of buildings and damage to properties worth millions of naira.
During a visit to the affected area, Bashir Abubakar Gegu, Kogi State Commissioner for Solid Minerals and Natural Resources, expressed sorrow over the extensive damage and urged residents to exercise caution when using cooking gas. He emphasized that the incident was preventable and attributed it to negligence and the failure to follow safety regulations.
“I am urging all and sundry to abide by the rules of gas usage. This accident is avoidable, but for negligence and failure to abide by the safety rules of the use of cooking gas, this happened,” Gegu stated.
He also assured the victims that the state government would provide both immediate and long-term assistance to help them recover and resume their businesses.