A seven-month-old baby was burnt to death after a gas explosion triggered a devastating fire that destroyed a gas retail outlet and a neighbouring hairdressing salon in the Egan-Igando area of Lagos State.
The tragic incident occurred at Dabiri Junction, near Niyi Bus Stop on Modina Road, leaving residents in shock as flames reduced both business premises to rubble.
Community sources said the infant, who was the child of an apprentice working at the hairdressing salon, had wandered into the adjoining gas shop shortly before the explosion.
“The child was playing inside the gas shop when the explosion occurred,” a resident said. “The fire spread rapidly, consuming both the gas shop and the salon. The baby was burnt beyond recognition.”
Eyewitnesses described the inferno as intense, saying helpless residents watched as the flames engulfed the two shops within minutes despite frantic efforts to contain the fire.
Photographs from the scene showed the buildings completely destroyed, with property worth millions of naira reportedly lost in the blaze.
As of the time of filing this report, emergency authorities had yet to officially determine the cause of the explosion or confirm whether additional casualties were recorded.
The tragedy comes amid a fresh wave of fire incidents across Lagos.
In another incident, an overnight fire destroyed 17 lock-up shops at the popular Sabo Market in Ikorodu Local Government Area.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service said it received a distress call at about 12:42 a.m. and deployed firefighters from the Ikorodu and Ijede Fire Stations, who successfully contained the blaze before it spread to neighbouring shops.
Controller of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, confirmed that no lives were lost and no injuries were recorded in the market fire, adding that the cause of the incident is under investigation.
The latest incidents have renewed concerns over recurring fire outbreaks in Lagos, with residents and traders calling for stricter enforcement of safety standards, particularly in facilities handling highly combustible materials such as cooking gas.