Disasters
Scores of Lagos residents escaped death by a whisker on Tuesday after a fuel-laden tanker spilled its content and went up in flames at the Barracks bus stop, Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Lagos State.
Although there were no casualties, no fewer than 10 vehicles were reportedly burnt in the inferno.
Emergency management workers, who were mobilised to the scene, were said to have cordoned off the area.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the driver of the Mack tanker, laden with 33,000 litres of PMS, had lost control and crashed into a white mini truck carrying electrical appliances around 9.48pm on Monday.
It was gathered that the crash punctured the rear part of the tanker, which led to the spilling of the PMS into the environs.
Our correspondents learnt that fire was ignited by the activities of some hoodlums, who tried to siphon the fuel.
PUNCH Metro was told that the emergency, which was coordinated by officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, also involved men of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, Lagos State Fire Service and the police.
The General Manager of LASEMA, Adeshina Tiamiyu, said the spillage ignited the fire.
He added that the fire could have been caused by the unsafe practices of residents.
He said, “A distress call was received via the emergency toll-free telephone number regarding a tanker accident at Barracks bus stop inward Iyana Oba, Lagos-Badagry Expressway, on October 1, 2018, around 9.48pm. This prompted the immediate activation of the agency’s response team to the scene of the incident.
“Consequently, a combined team of LASEMA Response Team, the LASG Fire Service, the Nigeria Police and other responders, successfully curtailed and stopped further spillage of the PMS into the environs.
“The articulated tanker and the trucks were thereafter recovered from the scene. However, during the recovery, the PMS, which hitherto spilled into the distant environment, ignited fire. The fire then travelled back to the proximity of the scene. Three buses, one car and six trucks were burnt.”
Tiamiyu urged motorists and drivers to always heed the instruction of emergency management workers to avert a recurrence.
The acting Director of the state fire service, Rasak Musbau, said the Ojo fire station responded to the incident.
He said, “We got a call to the fire around 5.39am. The Ojo fire station responded and blanketed the area with chemical compounds to avert any fire incidents. The spilled fuel found its way to the drainage where the hoodlums had created a dam to siphon the spilled fuel. No casualty was reported.”
Musbau urged Lagosians to desist from risking their lives in the quest for financial gain, saying safety should be first at all time.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, said the police had a record of nine burnt vehicles.
He said the state Commissioner of Police had directed the disaster management unit of the command to investigate the cause of the fire.
He said, “When the fire, which began just before the break of the dawn, was eventually put out by men of the fire service, nine vehicles, comprising four articulated vehicles, one truck and four minibuses, were razed. No life was lost and there was no report that anyone was injured during the incident. It is worthy of note that no fuel tanker was in sight or got burnt as a result.” – Punch
– Oct. 3, 2018 @ 8:29 GMT |
Tags: Scores escape death as tanker fire destroys vehicles
