Three people were killed and 77 others were injured when explosives rocked more than 20 buildings in one of Nigeria’s largest cities, authorities said, as rescue workers dug through the rubble in search of people feared to be trapped.
Residents in densely populated Ibadan city, in the south-western state of Oyo, heard a loud blast on Tuesday evening, causing panic as many fled their homes.
By Wednesday morning, security forces had cordoned off the area while medical personnel and ambulances were on standby as rescue efforts intensified.
Preliminary investigations showed the blast was caused by explosives stored for use in illegal mining operations, Oyo governor Seyi Makinde told reporters after visiting the site in the Bodija area of Ibadan.
“We have already deployed first responders and all relevant agencies within Oyo state to carry out comprehensive search and rescue operations,” he said, describing the damage as “devastating”.
Rescue workers combing through the collapsed structures recovered an additional body on Wednesday morning, increasing the death toll to three, Saheed Akiode, co-ordinator of Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency in the region, told the Associated Press.
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