A devastating domestic gas explosion has claimed the lives of a family of three in Warri, Delta State, including their overseas-bound daughter.
The incident happened as the family was preparing for the birthday of their youngest daughter, who had also recently secured her visa and was scheduled to travel abroad.
The incident occurred on 30th May, 2025, at a family residence in Warri, Delta State, resulting in the eventual loss of all three family members who later passed on as a result of injuries sustained in the explosion.
The accident happened when the family, which was using a standard LPG gas cylinder for cooking, wanted to introduce a mini gas cylinder into the same kitchen to support the cooking process.
The father accidentally triggered a sharp gas leak while installing a burner onto the smaller cylinder. The active flame from the larger gas cooker, which was nearby, ignited the escaping gas, leading to an explosion.
The mother, exiting the bathroom at the moment, was also caught in the blast.
The father sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead shortly after the incident, the mother suffered severe burns, was rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), and she later passed on during treatment while the daughter suffered critical first-degree burns and was admitted to intensive care at UBTH, where she sadly died last Saturday.
Engr. John Perede Akpoyibo, safety advocate and community development leader, traced the root cause to the simultaneous use of multiple LPG gas cylinders within an enclosed kitchen space and a gas leak that occurred during the installation of the burner on a mini gas cylinder while another flame was active.
He also traced it to a lack of proper ventilation, the absence of gas leak detection equipment, and no immediate access to fire extinguishing or suppression tools.
He recommended the installation of gas appliances in well-ventilated areas, away from ignition sources, equipping homes with gas leak detectors, fire extinguishers and smoke alarms, encouraging community-wide training on domestic gas safety and emergency responses, and conducting regular safety checks on gas cylinders, hoses, and valves.
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