Petrol tanker explodes at Iyana Isolo, Lagos
By Modupe Shodeinde
A tanker conveying petrol sparked fire and exploded along Apakun Bridge, Iyana Isolo, in the Oshodi area of Lagos State, on Thursday.
The incident reported to have occurred around 9:30am in Thursday, was caused when the driver suddenly lost control of the vehicle, which then overturned.
The incident threw commuters, motorist and transport workers into panic as they were seen scampering for safety.
The Director General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, who confirmed the incident, said the fire had been put off and the tanker removed from the road.
He however stated that the bridge has been subjected to integrity test by the Federal Ministry of Works and it would remain closed to vehicles.
He further cautioned residents to be careful as the product is still at risk of being ignited by naked flame.
In a statement, issued on Thursday, the state Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde, during an on-the-spot assessment of the scene, said, “The explosion was caused by collision of a fully loaded petrol tanker with another truck while trying to overtake each other along the corridor. The recovered tanker head will be used to track the owner/company and necessary sanctions meted out to the offenders.”
