A tragic incident unfolded in Lagos State, as a petrol-laden tanker exploded in the Sari Iganmu area, leaving several individuals feared dead. The devastating event occurred on Thursday evening, sending shockwaves through the local community.
The exact cause of this explosion remains shrouded in mystery, but emergency response teams swiftly arrived at the scene to grapple with the escalating fire. Heart-wrenching videos circulating online captured the inferno’s intensity, with people at the scene overcome with grief and panic.
Officials from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services sprang into action, directing their efforts to quell the blaze. Shakiru Amodu, the spokesperson for the agency, issued a concise statement to our correspondent, stating, “Tanker fire is being combatted at the Lagos Quadrapoint Bridge, by National Arts Theater, Iganmu as Sari Iganmu and Ilupeju Fire Crews combine efforts to tame the raging fire.”
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) was quick to inform the public about the situation via a post on social media. They reported, “A tanker has gone up in flames just before Iganmu bridge from Sifax. LASTMA has already alerted the @LagosRescue. Our officers at the scene are doing their best to handle the situation. Motorists moving towards the location are advised to avoid the location and reroute their journey for safety.”
Adebayo Taofiq, the spokesperson for LASTMA, assured that additional details regarding the incident would be provided to our correspondent when available.
An anonymous eyewitness shed light on the sequence of events, revealing, “The container was coming from Apapa. The container climbed the bridge leading to Orile, it could not climb the bridge and fell off at the tail end of the bridge. It then collided with a fuel tanker, which burst into flames.”
This devastating incident left around ten vehicles trapped with their occupants inside. Fortunately, fire service personnel from the Iganmu station swiftly arrived at the scene to battle the blaze, attempting to mitigate the damage and save lives in the process.