Two additional bodies have been recovered from the rubbles at the site of Tuesday’s explosion at Old Bodija, Ibadan.
While search and rescue efforts recovered one body intact, the other was recovered mutilated.
The development put the fatalities figure at five as of Thursday, January 18.
The Incent Manager, Emergency Situation Room, Prof. Temitope Alonge and the Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetumobi made the disclosures in their separate remarks on Thursday in Ibadan.
Alonge said: “Yesterday (Wednesday), we were able to retrieve one corpse but not the full body, it was smashed up, we were only able to collect a few body parts.
“But unfortunately today (Thursday) there’s one more elderly woman that we have been looking for, she has been taken to the forensic pathology unit for assessment.”
He added that aside from providing accommodation for some displaced persons in nearby hotels, Alonge said the state government has engaged the services of clinical psychologists to provide psycho-social support for the servers.
He said: “We have engaged the services of clinical psychologists to help them come through this particular grief for those who have lost loved ones and also to counsel those whose property was damaged in the incident.”
Giving a sequential narrative of the event, the former Chief Medical Director of the University College Hospital (UCH) said officials of the Nigerian Society of Engineers have been deployed to begin integrity tests on the structures within the vicinity.
He appealed to owners of buildings and structures in the area to stay away from the property until the tests are concluded.
“The Nigeria Society of Engineers, Oyo State Chapter are on the ground and looking at the integrity test because we insisted that they should check all that this morning. And for homes that failed the test, I’m afraid they will have to be demolished and anyone that wants to pick a valuable in a relatively stable house will be accompanied by the engineers with their helmets and other safety officials.
“Once that is sorted out, valuables here means certificate and maybe land documents. Otherwise, we are not encouraging them to take beds, tables and chairs out of the premises because of the risk that they pose.
“So, we are carrying on search and rescue but at the same time the engineers are doing their jobs and the place is being secured by the Nigeriqkany of the survivors who were taken for medical attention are relatively stable as many of them have been discharged to their relatives and family members. The Nation.