Several people were feared dead on Friday night following a gas explosion in the Bioku-Alaadun community, located in Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State.

According to reports, the explosion occurred while a gas tanker was offloading its contents into a local retail outlet. The blast reportedly affected the shop owner and others nearby at the time.

Speaking in a phone interview, the General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Yemi Akinyinka, confirmed that emergency responders had been deployed and were actively working to contain the situation.

“Our officers are on the ground and still responding. The explosion happened while gas was being discharged. We can confirm that there are casualties, but the full details are still being compiled,” Akinyinka stated.