One Killed, Properties Destroyed As Explosion Rocks Popular Pharmaceutical Company In Osun State (Photos)

Posted by Odinaka on Mon 09th Apr, 2018 - tori.ng

One person has reportedly been killed in an explosion which pulled down a storey building around More area in Ile Ife town in Osun state.

Scene of the explosion

A popular pharmaceutical company in the Moore area of Ile Ife, Osun State, was on Saturday rocked by explosion which caused the tragic death of one person.

Accordin to PUNCH, the explosion, which happened around 10.30pm, was said to have started a fire as pharmaceutical products worth millions of naira were reportedly destroyed.

The explosion was also said to have affected some of the adjoining buildings, while the area was cordoned off by the police.

While speaking to journalists, a resident and eyewitness disclosed that an improvised explosive device was planted in the building, while another resident, identified only as Tope, siad that one victim was trapped in the rubble.

Tope said the victim, who he claimed was a relative of the owner of the building, had been badly injured when he was eventually removed by emergency management workers, adding that the victim was rushed to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex where he died on Sunday.

His claim was also corroborated by some of the people at the scene. Another resident, Tola, said, “The building came down around 10pm on Saturday. The owner of the building died in November 2017 and there was a crisis on the sharing of his property, which included the building.

“The workers at the pharmaceutical company closed around 8.30pm and we learnt that somebody sneaked into the building and planted the explosive.

“The injured man was taken to the OAUTHC where he died from the injuries he sustained. The victim was one of the owner’s family members.”

The leader of firefighters in the state, Mike Ogundipe, told a correspondent that his men put out the fire that resulted from the explosion, adding that firefighters also went back to the scene on Sunday to ensure that the fire did not re-ignite.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Osun State, Mrs. Folasade Odoro, when contacted on the telephone, promised to find out and call back. She had yet to get back to our correspondent.

However, she posted a situation report on a Whatsapp platform where she said the cause of the incident had yet to be ascertained.

“One Adebayo Seun of Moore Street, Ile Ife, reported at the ‘A’ Division that around 10.15pm, after closing their pharmaceutical shop, someone called him that there was a fire incident in their shop.

“As they turned back to Ife, they discovered that the whole equipment used in the pharmacy, drugs and other goods therein, valued at about N50m, were razed by fire, while the storeyed building also collapsed. The cause is unknown. No life was lost. Investigation is ongoing.”