Church, other buildings, cars razed in Lagos tanker explosion
LAGOS—An explosion rocked Otedola Bridge in Lagos yesterday evening, sparking a massive fire.
The blast, which occurred at 8:08 p.m., involved a tanker loaded with petroleum product.
The Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, disclosed that the fire spread to a church, an adjoining bungalow and four vehicles.
Eyewitnesses reported that the tanker, a 30-ton DAF Gas Truck with an unknown registration number, was on its way navigating the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway when the explosion occurred. Panic-stricken motorists scrambled to escape the scene, with some making hasty U-turns while others abandoned their vehicles in fear of being trapped in the inferno.
At press time, emergency responders were still battling to put out the fire and prevent it from spreading to other buildings. Among them were officials from the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), the State’s Fire Service and the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA).
Explaining the situation, Director of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said: “The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service is currently attending to a fire resulting from a tanker accident outward of Otedola Bridge, Omole, Lagos, at about 8 p.m. While firefighting operations are ongoing, there have been no recorded casualties, with further updates to follow.”
On his part, LASEMA’s Head of Public Affairs, Boss Okunbo, simply stated: “It is some sort of explosion. Awaiting preliminary report. LASEMA’s Tiger Response Team is at the location.”
