Nigeria Shuts Lagos
Schools after Unexplained Fumes Sweep City
October 13, 2005 — By Dulue Mbachu, Associated Press
LAGOS, Nigeria — Authorities ordered
all schools in Nigeria's biggest city closed Wednesday after a dark
cloud of unexplained fumes swept in.
Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu ordered the closure of all primary and
secondary schools in Lagos, a city of 14 million, and launched an
investigation to determine the cause of what a government statement
called a "high concentration of gas in the air."
Residents began reporting unusual clouds of smoke in the city's northern
reaches, wafting southwards about 10:00 local time (9:00GMT). It was not
known what caused the cloud to form, but most of it had cleared away by
the afternoon.
In the morning as fumes descended on the city, visibility fell
drastically and motorists drove with the headlights on. Police said
there were reports of widespread eye and respiratory irritation but no
deaths.
"I looked in all directions and there was this ugly cloud all around us,
and we thought we would choke," said 35-year-old Okwui Achor, who was
driving in a car with two of her children. "Luckily, we only felt some
tingling in the eyes and throat."
Bode Ojajuni, Lagos state police spokesman, said earlier reports that
the fumes came from a burning, ruptured fuel pipeline in the outskirts
of the city proved untrue.
"We have confirmed it is not a pipeline. We're still investigating," he
said.
The head of the Lagos Environmental Protection Agency, Bisi Adesina,
told reporters air samples had been obtained by the agency as part of
the investigation. "We will analyze the sample to determine its
implication," Adesina said.
Source: Associated Press |