Tragedy struck in Lagos, on Thursday, when the driver of a petrol tanker, laden with fuel, lost control, leading to a free fall. The tanker fell and exploded instantly, bellowing a huge body of fire and smoke over the disaster area and beyond.
Nine people died in the disaster that consumed 54 vehicles.
Adesina Tiamiyu, General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, said the tragedy occurred at about 5.23 p.m., on the Otedola Bridge, close to the Berger area of Lagos.
In its own report, the Lagos State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, through Bisi Kazeem, its spokesperson, said “The accident occurred when the fuel tanker experienced brake failure.”
Kazem gave the breakdown of the vehicles consumed by the ensuing inferno as including the fuel tanker, five buses, two trucks, one tricycle, and 45 cars.
“The registration numbers of the affected vehicles could not be ascertained, as all the vehicles were completely burnt,” the FRSC spokesman added.
Giving his agency’s situation report, via a release Thursday evening, Adesina Tiamiyu, LASEMA General Manager, said: “On getting to the scene of the incident, it was discovered that a Mack tanker truck loaded with 33 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), moving inward Berger at about 5:23pm, fell and spilled its content on the road resulting into fire outbreak.”
Further investigation by the LASEMA Response Team, Tiamiyu continued, revealed that “nine bodies were confirmed dead and recovered from the scene (including eight adults and one minor), while four persons sustained various degrees of injuries and taken to the hospital. A total number of 54 vehicles were completely burnt as a result of the inferno.”
The release listed first responders as including LASEMA Response Team, Lagos State Fire Service, LRU Fire, LSNC, NSCDC, FRSC, LASAMBUS, LASTMA, SEHMU, LSPWC and Nigeria Police Force from Alausa and Isheri Divisions. Recovery operations were ongoing as at the time of updating this report.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with the government and people of Lagos State, praying God to comfort them at this difficult period.
In a statement released by its Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, the Lagos State Government said it was saddened by the tragedy which it described as “most unfortunate and regrettable.”
“On behalf of the Lagos State Government,” Bamigbetan said in the statement, “we extend our deepest commiseration to the families of persons who lost their lives as well as properties to the incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with them in this time of pain and grief. As a government, we would not relent in putting measures in place to ensure safety of lives and property of all residents.”
Bamigbetan then revealed that his boss, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, had directed all relevant agencies to move to the disaster scene and bring order and normalcy to the sad situation.
Ambode, through the Commissioner, assured that clearing of the disaster zone would be done all night and called for the corporation of citizens.
Just like the FRSC counselled, Ambode appealed to motorists to put safety first while on the road. The FRSC also said regular checks and proper vehicle maintenance are sine qua non to forestall disasters as this on the road.