On December 26, 2006, a deadly explosion occurred in Abule Egba, Lagos, when a vandalised petroleum pipeline ignited and resulted in a devastating fire. The blast spread very fast and claimed the lives of hundreds of people who had gathered to collect leaking fuel, a practice driven by poverty and fuel scarcity.
The exact death toll remains uncertain. However, initial estimates suggested that up to 500 people were burnt to death, though later reports indicated a lower number. The intense heat and flames prevented immediate rescue efforts, which made more people to die in the process. The scene was filled with charred remains scattered across the densely populated area.
This incident was a tragedy that many Nigerians cannot forget so quickly. It still serves as a constant deterrence to those who usually throw caution to the wind to rush and scoop fuel from burst pipelines.
Other key events on this day
1. A street named after former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela in Cape Town - 2010
2. The greatest earthquake in over 40 years struck the Pacific Ocean, and triggered a massive Indian Ocean tsunami that killed about 266,000 people - 2004
3. TIME's Man of the Year was a computer - 1982
4. Ex-US President, Harry Truman died - 1972
5. Britain surprised German attacker in the Arctic - 1943
6. Nobel Prize winners, Marie and Pierre Curie, announced the existence of Radium - 1898.
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