A 40-year-old woman named Rafiat Sheriff and her seven-year-old daughter, Asisat Sheriff, were killed in a gas explosion at their home on Church Street, along Èbúté Road, in the Ibafo area of Ogun State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident, which occurred at about 8:30 pm on Saturday, left two other persons with varying degrees of injuries.
The deceased, our correspondent learnt, had instructed her seven-year-old daughter to light the gas cylinder to prepare their evening meal.
While the child was trying to light the cylinder, a neighbour identified only as Abiodun reportedly told the police that the gas cylinder burst into flames.
A police document provided to our correspondent cited Abiodun as saying that the entire apartment was consumed by fire, leading to the death of the mother and her seven-year-old daughter.
The spokesperson for the command, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident and reported that two other individuals are currently fighting for their lives in the hospital.
She stated, “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.
“The mother and the child lost their lives in the explosion. Two other girls, including one of the children of the deceased, are currently receiving treatment in the hospital at Divine Touch Hospital in the area.”
The police document also indicated that the state fire service was contacted but did not respond.
However, the state Director of Fire Service, Fatai Adefala, denied knowledge of a gas explosion and asserted that the fire service operatives were not informed about the incident.
He said, “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.
“We also have another one at the Redemption Camp Ground. There was no gas explosion, please. I don’t know where you got the information from. They cannot call our staff, and they will not show up.”