Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo is promising a full investigation of a fire that triggered a series of powerful explosions Sunday in the country's commercial capital, Lagos. The blast occurred in a munitions depot in an outlying, densely populated district of the city.

The Nigerian president, accompanied by state and military officials, toured the scene of the devastation as some buildings adjacent to the military facility continued to burn.

Authorities say many people remain missing in the densely-populated Ikeja district.

Thousands of people were left homeless after burning shrapnel flew across the neighborhood, torching a number of homes and other buildings that included a church and a hospital.

After touring the devastation, President Obasanjo said the government would immediately begin to assist those who lost their homes. The Nigerian leader said the military will carry out an inquiry to determine the cause of the fire.

Mr. Obasanjo said measures would be taken to ensure that such an incident does not happen at other ammunition depots around the country.

It is not clear what touched off the fire. Early reports said the blaze started in a nearby market and then spread to the ammunition depot.

Witnesses say the blasts, which continued for hours Sunday, were so strong they shook buildings and shattered windows across a wide area of the Nigerian commercial capital. Residents in the area panicked and fled their homes. Reports say some people drowned when they plunged into a canal while trying to run from the explosions.

Military and state officials tried to ease the panic by going on national television to explain that the blasts were the result of an accident, and not part of a military coup as some people had initially feared.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, has experienced six coups in its 40 years of independence.

Email this article to a friend
Printer Friendly Version