One Dead, Four Buildings Razed In Midnight Tanker Explosion At Ojuelegba

Pandemonium broke out, yesterday, in the Ojuelegba area of Lagos State
after a tanker carrying 33,000 liters of Premium |Motor Spirit, PMS
(petrol) fell off the Ojuelegba bridge, spilling its contents and
bursting into flames. One yet to be identified person was feared dead
while three others were injured in the accident.

Also, five cars and four buildings were razed. The accident occurred
at about 1.30am.

The inferno raged for several hours before the situation was brought
under control.
When Sunday Vanguard visited the scene, it was gathered that residents
of the affected houses situated about 400 meters away from the
explosion spot, had vacated.

In an interview, Mr. Okon Macaulay, Assistant Controller, Federal Fire
Service, narrated how the incident happened. He said: "At 1.30 am, we
sighted a vehicle, towing a tanker carrying fuel on the bridge. Few
minutes later, the chain attached to the tanker snapped forcing the
tanker to detach.

"We discovered that the entire area was enveloped with the smell of
fuel. We moved our truck to the scene immediately to forestall any
outbreak of fire, while deploying necessary equipment. At that time,
residents had run away to escape the disaster.

"Then commercial bus drivers under the bridge began to scoop the fuel
that flowed from the fallen tanker into the drainages and store them
in their vehicles. While this went on, there was an explosion. We had
to attack the resultant fire with foam. Several vehicles were razed
by the inferno. The content in the drainage further escalated the
spread of the fire."

Macaulay claimed that a lady died due to the explosion, even as he
declined to explain how the death happened.

General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA,
Michael Akindele, in his own account of the fire, said that the
incident occurred at about 2.15 am, while the tanker was ascending the
bridge.

Akindele, who said no life was lost, however, confirmed that one house
was razed while three others were partially burnt. He added that five
vehicles were burnt.

He thanked God that the tragedy occurred in the night, saying more
lives might have been lost if the fire had happened in day time.

The LASEMA boss appealed to tanker drivers to be careful while
conveying inflammable products, adding that vehicles used in conveying
such products must be roadworthy.

He said Governor Akinwumi Ambode had ordered integrity test to be
conducted on the Ojuelegba bridge to determine its strength.

Meanwhile, the Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasak Fadipe,
said the tanker was conveying 33,000 litres of petrol , saying his
men moved to the scene as soon as distress call was received.
According to him, timely intervention of fire men saved the
situation.

-Vanguard