Background

"An armoury at the Ikeja military cantonment in Lagos, Nigeria, containing "high calibre bombs" was reported to have gone up in flames at about 6.00 pm (local time) on Sunday 27 January 2002, resulting in a series of explosions in and around the cantonment. The number of deaths and displaced persons could not be immediately ascertained but the explosion affected areas up to 50 kms away.

There were tremors in a number of buildings, with windows shattered and roof tops blown off, as a result of the explosions. People, apparently unaware of the actual cause of the explosions, left their homes to seek refuge outside. This caused a lot of pandemonium and confusion, as a result of which many family members have been separated" (WHO report).


Impact

"To date over 1,000 bodies have been recovered after the explosion at the ammunition depot.... However, local sources estimate that the final figure could be higher. The deaths were mainly due to the panic that led the victims, drowning in the murky waters of the Oke-Afa canal. According to local news, more than 20,000 people are directly affected by this incident. At least 4,500, mostly dependents of military personnel are staying in a temporary camp in Lagos" (OCHA Situation Report No. 4).

"Many people lost their lives and were injured in the first hours of the explosion on 27 January 2002 not because of the actual explosion, but due to the confusion following the explosion. It was agreed that very poor public awareness of disasters and a major lack of knowledge on how to respond to emergencies increased causalities." (IFRC Final Report-Sept.2002).

Highlights of UNDAC Mission

The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team (UNDAC) mission was organised by OCHA, with support from Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Section. The UNDAC report mentions that about 300 people got killed in the direct blast area, and some other 800 people perished in subsequent panic outside the cantonment. These numbers rise the death toll to over 1,100 deaths. The UNDAC report also mentions that there was no prevention and preparedness arrangements for surrounding populations. The impact of this event was made more severe by the lack of clear information, warnings or guidance from the authorities at the outset and co-ordination between the various agencies involved and there is clear evidence of a lack of disaster management capacity and contingency planning. Based on this finding the report suggests that the introduction of the UN Environment Programme's "Awareness and Preparedness at Local Level" (APELL) process, especially focussing on various potential hazardous sites in the country, would be advisable. For the full report please click here (pdf file with 0.16 MB).


Related Links

Relief web, part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)