Oyo Government says two persons lost their lives while a total 77 others suffered varying degrees of injuries in the explosion that rocked Bodija area of Ibadan and its environs yesterday night.
Gov Seyi Makinde made the disclosure in Ibadan on Tuesday when he paid a visit to the scene of the incident to assessment the extent of damage.
He said that the explosion, which occurred at about 7:44 pm, was caused by a cache of explosive devices stored by some illegal miners occupying a residential building in the area. Makinde, however, said that some of the injured people had been treated and discharged, while pledging that the medical bills of all victims would be paid by government.
He further stated that government would provide temporary accommodation for those whose houses were affected and support toward rebuilding their lives. He said that preliminary investigations by security agencies revealed that illegal miners occupying one of the houses in Bodija area had stored some explosive devices there which caused the blast.
The governor stated that investigations were ongoing and that anyone found to have been involved in incident would be brought to book. While urging residents of the state to remain calm, Makinde directed them to call 615 for any emergency they might be experiencing at this time.
He also implored them to stay away from the immediate scene of the incident to allow rescue operations to be carried out without interference. The governor appreciated the first responders, security personnel and all those who were at the scene to assist with rescue operations as well as the medical personnel taking care of the injured.