On Friday, 22nd April, 2022, a petrol-laden tanker exploded in the city of Lagos, Nigeria, destroying many lives and property.
The explosion, which took place at Ajegunle Bus Stop along the popular Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, claimed one life and destroyed at least three vehicles, as was reported by the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service.
The tanker, which was loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol, reportedly overturned while attempting to enter a filling station by the expressway, hence spilled its entire content.
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The South-West Zonal Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye disclosed to newsmen that the sole fatality of the incident was a 15-year-old Oluwatobi Lawal, who was preparing for his WAEC and JAMB examinations.
On her part, the Director of the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service, Margeret Adeseye said in a statement that they received a distress call regarding the fire outbreak at about 2:16am (WAT), from a tanker meant to service one Ayinde Oil filling station at Ajegunle.
“Unfortunately, a male adult was recovered and suspected dead, likewise three various brands of vehicles involved in the Fire, aside the tanker and shops,’’ the statement read in parts.
The tanker “accidentally spilled its 45,000 liters PMS content while negotiating a bend to the station before resulting in fire from the nefarious activities of scoopers at the Toll Gate end, causing it to spread through some roadside makeshift shops to its source at Ajegunle Bus Stop.
She said the situation was, however, brought under control by fire-fighters from Agege, Ikeja, and Alausa.
In a related report, Joseph Akinsanya, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Agbado Unit Commander, Joseph Akinsanya stated that the fire destroyed ten shops.
He explained that the tanker, with no registration number, coming from Lagos, was trying to enter a filling station when it suddenly overturned and caught fire, while attributing the cause of the incident to leakage that spilled the content on the road.
“Unfortunately, one person was burnt beyond recognition; many people, the number, which is yet to be ascertained, were injured, while ten shops were also burnt.
“However, some of the injured victims were taken to a nearby hospital, and Ota General Hospital, while the corpse had been deposited at Ifo General Hospital, Ogun,” he said.
Mr. Akinsanya advised motorists to drive cautiously and obey traffic rules and regulations as they have diverted away traffic from the scene of the incident.
He also implored them to cooperate with traffic managers that were on the ground to manage the situation in order to reduce the time spent in the gridlocks.
The Unit Commander said the FRSC personnel and other sister agencies carried out the rescue operation and could extinguish the fire with the help of the Lagos State Fire Service.
Explosion of tankers, carrying petroleum products, on Nigerian roads, has indeed become a recurring decimal, hence seems not unlike a norm in the country’s everyday life.
This is quite appalling, to assert the least. It suffices to say that the concerned authorities and stakeholders as well as well-meaning individuals really need to look inwards with a view to ensuring that this uncalled and cruel incident becomes a thing of the past within the shores of Nigeria’s polity.
On most occasions, you would discover that this unfortunate occurrence is usually attributable to a high level of unguided touting practice on the country’s various roads. Hence, this must be looked into in earnest by the relevant law enforcement agencies.
Above all, it’s not anymore news that virtually all the roads across the country, especially the highways, are currently in a very bad state. This ought to equally be addressed by the governments at all levels.