None of the 26upils of Bethlehem Girls’ College present during Sunday’s explosions at Abule Ado, a Lagos suburb died in the incident, the Catholic Archdiocese’ Education Director said on Tuesday.
Messenger Jerome Oduntan told our Correspondent that all the students were rescued and 50 of them who sustained injuries taken to the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital (NNRH), Ojo.
Of the 50 pupils, Oduntan said only three were still on admission at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Golden Cross Hospital, Festac and NNRH.
He gave their identities as Chidinma Agubuisi (LASUTH), Chidera Oku (Golden Cross) and Ogochukwu Nnaji (NNRH).
Two of the deceased, Oduntan said, were chefs for the pupils and the priest respectively while the third person was books accountant.
“Please, none of my students died. They have all been accounted for. Yes, the three bodied recovered on Monday were from the school premises and were workers,” he said.
Although burial date has not been fixed for the school’s headmistress Sister Henrietta Alokha who died while rescuing the students one of the collapsed buildings, the director said a memorial has been fixed for her by the Archdiocese for Monday.
“There is no burial date yet but a memorial for her has been fixed for 11am on Monday, March 23, at Maryland,” she stated.
The Nation report that the list of affected population has surpassed 340 as at Tuesday afternoon.
However, the State Government said it had opened the Igando relief camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the disaster.
Director General, Lagos Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu said the camp would accommodate over 500 persons suspected to have been displaced from over 50 houses destroyed by the explosions.
He said the camp opening became necessary to provide shelter for victims rendered homeless.
“The incident scene remains live; Julius Berger and CECC have joined efforts in the rescue process while the fire has been extinguished. Damaged pipelines are being repaired by the NNPC teams.
“We urge for calm and for residents to keep away from the scene and to refrain from sharing fake news,” he said.