30 houses razed in another tanker explosion

Three days after a 33, 000 litre capacity tanker loaded with fuel skidded off a bridge at the Iyano-Ipaja area of Lagos, burning residential buildings, shops and vehicles, a similar incident has occurred at Idimu, a few kilometers from Iyano-Ipaja.

Witnesses said the latest incident happened around 1am but that men of the state fire service were able to contain the situation after about five hours.

The situation threw residents of the area into panic, as they hurriedly moved their properties out, while some scuttled to safety.

Our correspondent who visited the scene noticed smoke billowing from surrounding buildings around 11am on Saturday.

A resident blamed the incident on the driver of the vehicle, saying he was driving in a reckless manner.

“The incident happened as the driver of the tanker, which was conveying diesel, lost control when he tried to negotiate a bend. The driver was on high speed.”

Edith Onwubolu, another resident, said the incident occurred when two trucks were trying to outwit one another.

“Two trucks were dragging the road: one was coming from Egbeda to Ikotun and the other from Ikotun and the collusion that happened resulted into this disaster,” she said.

“We thank God that there were no causalities but many houses were destroyed and goods worth millions of naira were also damaged.

Meanwhile, traders and owners of shops have started counting their losses.

The traders, who rushed to their business premises at day break, were shocked at the level of destruction of their property.

Some of them, especially women, sobbed uncontrollably as they formed circles around their ravaged shops, talking to no one in particular.

They lamented that the fire had ruined them as they had just taken delivery of the goods that were destroyed.

“Everything in my shops had been burnt,” Lekan Salami, who sells provisions in two shops affected by the inferno, told NAN.

“My wife has just been delivered of a baby yesterday and I have just stocked my shop with variety of goods and provisions.

“Where do I begin from again, who will I cry to for help?”

Baba Haliyu, a witness, said said the tanker collided with another articulated truck and skipped off the road.

“The tanker while trying to struggle with another trailer, hit the pole in front of a mosque, skipped off the road and immediately exploded,” he said.

Another resident, Aisha Olaniran, also told NAN that the driver absconded immediately the accident occurred.

TheCable gathered that Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of Lagos state, has visited the  suburb to assess the damage and sympathise with the victims.

Ambode had earlier cautioned tanker drivers against reckless driving to avoid loss of lives and property.