Eleven people on Wednesday in Abuja suffered varying degrees of burns from a gas explosion that occurred at Rosy Restaurant Area 11.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the victims who were immediately taken to Asokoro General Hospital suffered some 40 to 50 degree of burns.
A pregnant woman, who simply identified herself as Ajayi who works at the restaurant, said that they were at work when the gas suddenly exploded.
Ajayi, who is three months pregnant said that she needed to go for scanning to ascertain the condition of her baby. The explosion affected her face, legs and hands.
Rachael Awu, an attendant at the restaurant said, “I was serving customers and I went to pack meal, as I looked back I just heard the explosion.
“The fire started from the back of the restaurant where one of the cylinders was stationed. I was facing outside and when I tried to look back, I saw fire from the explosion.
”One of the gas cylinders was stationed outside the restaurant in the open space, and there is another gas inside where we used to put meat.”
She said that the gas cylinder outside was the one that aided the fire which ignited the gas cylinder inside the restaurant.
Another victim, who simply identified himself as Promise said that the explosion was sudden, adding that he was attending to customers when he heard a loud noise.
Promise suffered burns on his two hands and a partial burn on his face.
Rose Kenu said, “I was in the restaurant when the gas exploded. We were cooking inside the restaurant because that is where the kitchen is located.”
Dr Aminu Mile, the Acting Managing Director, Health and Human Services Secretary (HHSS), Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) while on a visit to the hospital, said the circumstances surrounding the explosion would be unravelled.
He said that the HHSS was already doing much to help victims of the explosion.
Dr Nnabuchi Chidi, Acting Managing Director, Asokoro District Hospital said that the hospital would refer some of the cases to the National Hospital, Abuja.
He said the 11 patients brought to the hospital were stabilised.
When NAN visited Rosy Restaurant, the place was under lock and key and no one was willing to speak.
