5 die in Lagos tanker fire

Five persons lost their lives in a fire which occurred at the Berger Suya bus stop in Olodi-Apapa, Lagos, on Tuesday.

The fire broke out after a petroleum tanker overturned. Mr Razak Fadipe, the director of the Lagos State Fire Service, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the scene of the incident on Wednesday that goods and properties worth millions of Naira were also destroyed.


Fadipe said that his men, supported by the Nigerian Navy and other private fire services, battled the fire for about five hours and worked late into the night to bring the fire under control. The general manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, who was also at the scene, said that all the victims of the accident and those who were injured were taken to the Gbagada and Ikeja General Hospitals.
Some eyewitnesses told NAN that the tanker which caused the fire had a problem with its brakes.

"We were still in front of our shop when we saw the tanker coming from Kirikiri side.
"One of the boys following the tanker was trying to use a stone to wedge the vehicle while it was moving because it had a problem with its brakes.


"The driver was trying to divert to another street when the vehicle fell and the product spilled everywhere and ignited fire from the man selling meat at the junction.

"The fire spread to all the shops and bank in the area and the men of the Lagos State Fire Service and others really saved many other buildings from being burnt.
"At least 10 persons died and many were injured by the fire. Most of the people who died were in two commercial buses,’’ a trader, Ejike Ezeobi told NAN.


Another trader, Steve Abugu, who claimed to have lost three shops, with goods valued at about N15 million, also blamed the tanker driver for the incident.
A staff of the Sterling bank, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said that while the fire was raging, some hoodlums invaded the bank and looted air conditioners, computer systems and some documents.

"They came in as if they wanted to assist us to salvage some items. They removed air conditioners, computers, counting machines and documents. "They went to the security men demanding for the keys to the ATM room and the vault, but the security men told them they were not holding the keys.


"They came with hammers, cutlasses and iron cutters. They ran away as soon as more police men came to the scene," the banker said. NAN reports that the incident paralysed business activities in the area on Wednesday as people gathered to watch the burnt vehicles, shops and buildings.