A powerful explosion rocked the ancient city of Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, on Tuesday night, causing devastating aftershocks and the collapse of buildings.
According to residents, houses and cars far away from the blast site were also damaged by the blast wave.
“We heard a loud bang around 07:30pm. Dominos shattered, Ace Mall in Bodija destroyed,” a panic-stricken resident told our correspondent over the phone.
The number of casualties could not be confirmed at the time of writing, but the injured were taken to hospitals and some residents were trapped in the rubble of the collapsed building.
The Zonal Coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the South-West, Saheed Akiode, told newsmen that emergency responders including the operatives of the Fire Service in Oyo State have been deployed to the scene of the incident on Awolowo Way by Adeyi Avenue, behind a Central Mosque, in Bodija.
Also, in a terse statement on X (formerly Twitter), the Oyo State Government said it is aware of reports of an explosion in the state.
“Residents are urged to remain calm as security agencies are investigating this to determine the source and cause of the incident,” the government said.
In an update, the state government said, “Relevant agencies are carrying out search and rescue operations at the scene of the incident.”
Similarly, the Oyo State Police Command in a post on X confirmed the explosion.
Photos and videos of the incident have begun to flood social media.