According to a report published by Punch, Tragedy struck on Saturday evening in Ibafo, Ogun State, as a 40-year-old woman, Rafiat Sheriff, and her seven-year-old daughter, Asisat Sheriff, lost their lives in a devastating gas explosion. The incident occurred at their residence on Church Street, along Èbúté Road, leaving two others injured.
According to reports gathered by PUNCH Metro, the fatal explosion occurred around 8:30 pm when Rafiat instructed her young daughter to light the gas cylinder for their evening meal.
In a heart-wrenching turn of events, the cylinder burst into flames during the process, engulfing the entire house.
A neighbour, identified simply as Abiodun, recounted the tragic scene, stating, "The incident occurred last night when the mother told her seven-year-old daughter to cook. The girl was attempting to light up the gas cylinder when the entire house went up in flames." Sadly, both Rafiat and Asisat succumbed to the fire.
Meanwhile, two other girls, including one of Rafiat's children, sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at the Divine Touch Hospital in the area.
The Ogun State Fire Service, when contacted, denied prior knowledge of the gas explosion. Fatai Adefala, the Director of Fire Service, clarified, "I didn’t know of the gas explosion. There was no gas explosion. We have two fire trucks on that axis. One truck is in Ibafo. The other one is in Isheri." He further emphasized that their operatives were not alerted about the incident and, therefore, were not dispatched to the scene.