A fatal explosion on Thursday, 24th of September 2020 critically injured 30 people and destroyed 23 buildings and 15 vehicles in the sleepy community of Ajuwon near Iju-Ishaga in Lagos.
The destroyed properties include two residential buildings, a Church, an Event Centre, four Commercial buildings, a local market consisting of 15 make-shift shops, 11 cars, two mini trucks, one bus and, one heavy-duty truck., were destroyed.
The first responders alleged that a sealing device might have been compromised by the truck driver, which led to gradual leakages that ignited when the truck had a tyre blowout.
This accident was a significant blow to city’s safety record, having just recovered from the Abule Ado gas pipeline explosion that rocked a part of the state in March. It was a terrible disaster that claimed 23 lives and left a lot of people injured including students from a girls boarding school while leaving its building, adjacent to the leaking pipeline, completely destroyed.
Sad occurrences like these are unpredictable, yet, when they occur, the aftermath lingers painfully in the lives of the victims and their loved ones. This gas explosion at Ajuwon taught us a lot of lessons, one of which is the need to always prepare for the unknown. It might seem puzzling and even assumed for paranoia by many, but adequately preparing for the unknown is way beyond a survival technique, it is a deliberate step in securing your mental, financial, physical, and emotional wellbeing. Below are a few lessons the Iju-Ishaga fire has once again brought to the fore.
Keep Safe: Your priority in the event of an explosion is your safety. Check yourself for injuries. Then proceed to call out for help and assist others. If you are hurt and bleeding, apply direct pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding. If you are bleeding heavily, do not panic but calmly signal for help. Cover your nose and mouth to protect yourself from inhaling toxic substances. Many buildings contain asbestos that can damage the lungs when inhaled.
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With the craze for social media breaking iReports, photographing or video coverage should not be your immediate concern if you can join in the rescuing others or move away to a safer location. It also helps to keep portable first-aid kits in your office, at home or on the go. One can never say precisely when and how an accident will occur, but we can prepare ourselves by staying informed on ways to handle emergencies like this when they happen.
Be Prepared: Living a life that prepares you for the unexpected is being realistic about the “What ifs” of a risk occurring in our lives, business or in the lives of our loved ones. The easiest but completely ineffective step is to say ‘God forbid’ when these events cross our minds, and then do nothing about it.
It is good to have a positive outlook on the unknown, but it is smarter to positively plan for unknown risks around us – be it your personal life or business or family. Choosing to be optimistic yet alert and resilient could make the difference between surviving any form of accident and financially recovering from the loss.
The losses incurred from the Iju-Ishaga explosion were colossal; from the large numbers of properties destroyed to those severely injured, one cannot begin to imagine the current state of the victims of this disaster.
However, the solution can be surmised in two words “plan ahead”. The smartest way (that has been proven over the decades) to prepare is to have an insurance policy. Those with insurance policies protecting them and their assets are likely to suffer less trauma from the aftermath of a disaster. This is where Leadway Assurance Ccompany, an insurer that has been providing succour to victims of disasters like an explosion, vehicles accidents, fires and other crazy perils for five decades, comes in.
Leadway Assurance range of Property Insurance policy is designed to reimburse its policyholders in the event of damage or destruction to your property. It also provides a cover for cost on third-party injuries sustained on the insured property.
Find out more about Leadway Assurance Property by reaching out to their advisors via the company’s virtual communication channels – 0808857805008134892145, Social Media handles @LeadwayAssurance on Facebook & Instagram and @Leadwayinsure on Twitter or send an email to [email protected]. You can also request a call back from an experienced insurance advisor by visiting www.leadway.com/call-me
