Fuel Tanker Fire Destroys Items Worth Millions

An early morning inferno has ravaged some parts of Iyana Ipaja in Lagos, leaving several houses, cars and other valuables running into millions of naira burnt to ashes.
It was gathered that the fire was caused by a petrol tanker which fell off the Iyana Ipaja Bridge while descending the bridge en route to Alimoso and spilling its contents on the road which eventually led to the fire outbreak.
With the petrol spilling into the gutters and the streets, some houses, shops and valuables in Abule Oki, very close to the scene of the accident, were not spared as some houses on the streets were also torched.
A resident of the area disclosed that the incident started at around 2am.
“It started around 2am and the whole area turned into balls of fire, and we had to be running helter-skelter for shelter because the fire entered the streets through the petrol which spilled into the gutters,” the source said.
No fewer than nine cars, five commercial buses, many shops and houses were burnt in the fire incident.
It was a hectic time for fire fighters to deal with the inferno to the extent that they had to leave the scene when they ran out of water and fire extinguisher. This development also caused heavy traffic on the Abeokuta Expressway.
 
Ambode Blames Frequent Lagos Tanker Explosions On Drivers’ Indiscipline
Lagos governor Akinwumi Ambode has blamed frequent tanker explosions in the state that often leads to loss of lives and properties on carelessness and indiscipline of the truck drivers.
The governor said this yesterday when he visited the scene of a petrol tanker explosion in Iyana-Ipaja area of the state that destroyed properties worth millions of naira.
He said, “As at 1am today, a tanker loaded with 33,000 litres of petrol fell from Ipaja Bridge and spilled all its contents within the environs of Ipaja, covering almost five streets here.
“In the last four hours, all our emergency agencies have been effectively on ground and we have been able to manage and control the consequences of what 33,000 litres of petrol would have done to this neighbourhood.
“Thank God, there has not been any loss of life, but again, there were victims whose shops were destroyed.
“As at the last count, the agencies have been able to report that everything has been put under control. We’ve also recorded two other incidents, just like this one in other parts of Lagos overnight, one in Badagry and the other one in Ojo area.
“It would also mean that our tanker drivers have to start to do something about their operations. We cannot continue to record loss of lives and properties because our tanker drivers are not disciplined.”
The governor affirmed that the state government will quickly find a way to help those who have lost their properties and shops, to enable them get back to their normal business lives.
“I will receive the report of the fire incident in the next 48 hours and we would do something positively to ensure that lives can return to normal,” he said.
Fielding questions from newsmen at the scene of the tanker accident, the Lagos State commissioner of police, Kayode Aderanti, confirmed that, “The tanker fell off the Ipaja overhead bridge. We thank God that we did not have any fatality, but we had some casualties.
“The role of the police is to ensure that we investigate the remote and immediate causes of this accident and bring to book whoever is responsible for this dastardly act.”
Also speaking, the director, Lagos State Fire Service, Rasaq Fadipe, said the fire service responded promptly, noting that lives were not lost because of their effectiveness and vibrancy.
He said, “That was why no life was lost in the incident. The advice I want to give is that tanker drivers that want to drive at night must rest during the day so that there would not be fatigue while handling the trucks at night.
“The tanker that fell at Badagry, close to Toll Gate at Magbon Bus Stop, the driver was contesting road with a tipper. Imagine a driver conveying combustible product contesting road. We urge the drivers to be very careful; it is important they adhere.”
The permanent secretary, Special Duties, Dr. Aderemi Desalu, lauded Lagosians for alerting the government on time through the state’s 767 and 112 lines.