A fire incident has occurred on Friday on Suleja-Minna road Niger state.
The incident, which involved a trailer and a tanker laden with kerosene, reportedly happened on Friday morning.
Five persons have been confirmed injured.
Details Soon…
Over 20 vehicles were gutted by fire on Thursday on Otedola bridge Lagos
According to reports, the tanker which was loaded with PMS had a break failure.
Although, the number or causalities is likely to be high as passengers were trapped in vehicles, the exact number of is yet to be ascertained.
More details soon…
Otedola Bridge inward Berger – a Tanker is presently on Fire. #ThisIsNigeria pic.twitter.com/TQlaql9vuY
— ?? Oluwaseyi (@SisiLizzzy) June 28, 2018
A tanker laden with diesel yesterday caught fire about 5.30am in Port Harcourt as the driver tried to escape from policemen.
The building of an oil firm, Jimcol Resources, was burnt in the inferno with property worth billions of naira destroyed.
It was gathered that the driver lost control while trying to navigate a bend at the foot of the Eliozu flyover on the Air Force base/ Rukpokwu road.
The vehicle ran into an electric pole and the tanker fell, spilling its content. The fire was still burning as at last night.
Four other vehicles owned by the company – a Toyota Hiace bus, two Toyota Hilux vans and a Toyota Camry saloon car – were lost to the fire. Part of a residential building behind the oil firm and shops beside it were also affected.
Soldiers, policemen and officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) were at the scene to prevent hoodlums from looting the remaining items. Some controlled the traffic to prevent a gridlock.
The Managing Director of Jimcol Resources, Ndubuisi Nwagbara, could not be reached but two of his friends, Messrs. Femi Oyetunji and Olo Samson, were sadness at the incident.
Oyetunji said Jimcol Resources was into mud logging services for oil companies and geological formation/evaluation of rig sites, and provision of logistic services.
According to him, each of the two burnt mud logging units cost over $1 million and were recently purchased from China.
Oyetunji said: “The incident is pathetic and horrible. Nwagbara started without government’s assistance, but relied on hard work to help people, especially the qualified but unemployed youths. This is a huge loss, especially at this crucial period in Nigeria.”
Eyewitnesses said the tanker driver and his conductors absconded from the scene to avoid lynching.
Commissioner for Special Duties Emeka Onowu described the incident as sad. He insisted that officials of the state fire service got to the scene within 15 minutes of being alerted and tried their best to prevent the fire from extending to other buildings.
A tanker conveying an unidentified fuel exploded yesterday at Ehere community in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State.
Several and property estimated at millions of naira were said to have been destroyed in the fire.
Eyewitnesses said the fire, which raged between 2 p.m to 3 p.m, caused pandemonium in the area.
The whereabouts of the driver of the tanker, which had no registration number, could not be established last night.
Unconfirmed report said some pupils at a private school in the area sustained various degrees of injury as they scampered for safety.
The Nation gathered that efforts to bring men of the state fire service to put out the fire failed.
This, it was learnt, propelled the residents to resort to self-help.
But the raging fire prevented them from entering some homes.
Narrating the incident to our reporter, a resident who identified himself simply as Chukwuma, said: “The tanker driver was driving across our community. We have not been able to determine the content of the truck. It got to this point after bumping into a gallop. Then, the driver jumped down from the truck.
“Before you could say jack, there was a loud noise, which threw the whole place into flame. People were running from every direction for safety, leaving shops open and cars behind. No pin was saved.
“You know it is Monday; many shop owners had stocked their shops with goods at the weekend. Many others were yet to finish the drinks they could not sell at the weekend.
“Opposite us, the owner of the shop had about five refrigerators that were stocked with drinks. All of them were consumed. It is better told than experienced. Many people were injured.
“We thank God that no life has been lost as we speak. We tried to call men of fire service, but they said they didn’t have diesel. We learnt that a Good Samaritan bought gas for them and before they could come, everywhere was engulfed and no pin was saved.
“But before their arrival, we were using water from the waterlogged road to pour into the fire until it was put out. But the damage had been done.”
Over 10 shops were razed.
The traditional ruler of Ehere community, Eze Young Nwangwa, described the incident as one too many.
The monarch regretted the effect it would have on the affected shop owners.
Property worth several millions of naira, including one house and 12 stores, were Thursday night destroyed in a fire incident, sparked by a loaded tanker accident at Ifie community, Warri South council area of Delta state.
The Nation gathered that the accident occurred at about 9:00pm, involving a tanker with plate number XA 331 LTD, which had loaded the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from Pinnacle Oil and Gas Depot at Ifie community.
Although there was yet to be any official confirmation of the cause of the accident, the Nation gathered from community sources that the bad state of the road was the most obvious explanation. It was gathered that the tanker tripped on the badly damaged Ifiekporo-Ubeji Road, resulting in the fire which spread to the razed road side property.
“A Petroleum Tank laden product gutted fire around the private depots at Ifie community, after the Warri Refinery and two houses were affected in the inferno.
No causality but property were lost and took frantic efforts of people and firefighters in the area that help stop the fire from spreading”, a source, Ojobor Cogent, narrated
Confirming the incident, the chairman of Warri South council, Mofe Edema, who visited scene early yesterday said quick response to distress calls by fire service organisations curtailed further spread of the fire as well as prevented loss of lives.
“Thank God many fire response bodied responded promptly apart from only Shell which said they needed clearance from Port Harcourt before coming to quench an emergency fire.
“About 12 stores and one building went down with the fire. I put the Governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa on the phone he spoke to Chief Mode Akoma, Olare-Aja (Head of Elders Council) because there were echoes of community protest.
“The Governor has directed the Commissioner on Special Duties to promptly visit the area immediately and assess the extent of damage. I am also, sometime today, meeting with owners of the concentrated tank-farms in the area”, Edema said.
Residents of Babalosa in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos woke up abruptly on Tuesday midnight as the shout of fire rent the air.
A tanker laden with 30,000 litres of fuel fell behind the popular Awolowo Market, spilling its content.
Two persons, including the tanker driver were injured. Three buses burnt.
Many trooped out with various liquid substances to put out the fire.
The Nation learnt that Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area Executive Secretary Rasaq Ajala, who was among the people that came to the scene called the Lagos State Fire Fighters. He was joined by a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Mushin Constituency, Olayiwola Olawale, few minutes past 1am.
The injured tanker driver immediately fled the scene.
An eyewitness, Emmanuel Okeke, said the driver was over speeding without taking cognisance of the deep potholes along the road.
According to Okeke, the incident happened at 12 midnight.
He wondered how the driver could be speeding knowing that the road is riddled with potholes .
Another eyewitness, Ademola Adegoke said: “The tanker driver escaped through smashed windscreen and sustained injuries. When the fire started around midnight. We alerted the residents in the neighbourhood and also called the fire station for help. The fire fighters arrived the scene around 1am. The buses were given out to the owners on higher purchase. Government intervention is urgently needed on this road.
“This market would have been burnt to ashes if not for the timely intervention of street boys. We, the street boys were the ones that tried to subdue the fire before the arrival of the fire fighters.”
Okeke commended the prompt response of men of the fire fighters.
“The Lagos State Fire Service really tried their best in quenching the fire. It was after three hours that they were able to put out the fire but they really tried to save lives and property from the fire,” he said.
A resident, who pleaded for anonymity, said: “We were unable to sleep since the incident happened because the fire started in front of our house and there is a filling station beside our house. A trader was frying something beside the road when the tanker fell; it’s likely that the fire ignited the spilled fuel.”
She urged government to ban roadside traders at midnight to ensure safety of lives and property.
The General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Micheal Akindele, applauded the Divisional Police Officers of Mushin and Idi-Oro for providing adequate security while the fire lasted.
He said: “We arrived the scene 10 minutes after getting the alert. Aside the policemen, officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) were also at the scene to assist.
“We are now in the process of cleaning the drainage to forestall further ignition. I must also commend Ajala and Olawale for their prompt arrival at the scene. The street boys in this area have been cooperative. This is what we say about democracy. It is good for participatory development. It is a wonderful cooperation among all towards emergency response. Thank God no life was lost.”
“We were unable to sleep since the incident happened because the fire started in front of our house and there is a filling station beside our house. A trader was frying something beside the road when the tanker fell…”
The owner of one of the burnt commercial buses, Saheed, said he bought the bus not quite long.
He said: “I have not concluded the payment of the bus. It was given to me on higher purchase. The balance to be paid is N600,000 and it will be due by December. Where will I get money to offset the balance? I have called the person that leased the vehicle to me to come and see the damage done to the bus. The bus registration number is APP 859 LJ.”
Another owner Saheed (a.k.a Sanjay), urged the police to help fish out the tanker driver so as to get compensation for their loss.
Amid tears, Joshua John, the owner of the third bus, said that he still have N1.5 million to balance on the bus. He sustained injury on his left arm while trying to salvage his bus.
Residents, however, attributed the incessant accident at Babalosa to the bad portions on the road.
They pleaded with government to fix the road.
“An accident occurred at this spot three months ago which claimed some lives. This road is in a deplorable state, we need urgent government’s intervention. The continuous dumping of stones on this road is among the causes of the accident. The road has been in a deplorable state under Fashola’s administration,” one of them told The Nation.
The Nation learnt that a member of the House of Representatives Dauda Kako-Are has promised to assist the owners of the buses.
A FUEL tanker exploded in Ikorodu, Lagos, yesterday, killing three persons. But, the state fire service said one person died.
Three vehicles, three cows and a 40 foot stationary cold room were burnt. An injured man was rushed to the nearby General Hospital.
It was learnt that the tanker went up in flames after it lost control while trying to climb the steep hill on Beach Road.
The victims were the tanker driver, a cobbler and a motorcyclist.
Their remains have been deposited in a morgue.
An eyewitness said the tanker had charged some of its content at a nearby filling station before the incident.
Unable to climb the hill, the tanker rolled off the heavy duty truck, spilling its content into a nearby abattoir.
The witness said: “Due to the early morning activities of slaughtering and burning of animals at the abattoir, there was a sudden explosion, with the fire spreading wildly. The tanker driver was roasted by the fire.
“An unfortunate tricyclist who was on speed rode into the inferno, one other man who was at the abattoir to buy meat was also a victim.
“The fire would have been prevented from wreaking more havoc if the firemen had arrived early. They got to the scene more than one hour after the fire started and this made angry bystanders to prevent them from doing their job.
Director of the State Fire Service Rasaq Fadipe said firemen from Ikorodu were deployed to contain the fire. He urged motorists to abide by road safety guidelines and install functional fire fighting gadgets in their cars.
The agency, he said, also fought a fire at the Naval Dockyard on Victoria Island, which gutted the administrative block, a wooden decking consisting of about 20 offices. Thirteen of the offices were razed.
According to him, it took firemen from the navy and state agency about two hours to contain the fire.
Fadipe said investigation into the causes of the fires were on.
Five people were burnt to death yesterday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, when a fully loaded diesel tanker crashed into many vehicles.
The accident was said to have been caused by failure of the vehicle’s brake at Olugbode Junction on the Apata/Abeokuta Road.
It was learnt that there was traffic jam in the area, leaving many casualties.
The victims were taken to a private hospital near the scene of the accident.
An eyewitness said: “We would have been telling another story if it had been loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol”.
Police spokesperson Adekunle Ajisebutu confirmed the incident.
He said he got a distress call from somebody and made the necessary contact thereafter.
Ajisebutu said he was waiting for an official briefing by the Divisional Police Officer.
THE death toll of the Ibadan tanker fire has increased to 22 with three more deaths.
The victims died yesterday at the Burns Unit of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.
Eleven victims were taken to the hospital on Saturday evening. A source said most of the victims suffered third degree burns.
A loaded petrol tanker fell at Molete Bridge on Saturday, sparking a fire.
The Oyo State government had taken over the payment of hospital bills.
•Casualty figure now 19
Two more victims of the tanker fire incident in Ibadan, including an eight-year-old girl, died yesterday, bringing the casualty figure to 19.
The deaths were recorded at the University College Hospital (UCH) yesterday morning.
This brings the number of deaths to four among those rushed to the hospital on Saturday.
A loaded petrol tanker fell under Molete Bridge at the weekend, sparking off a fire. Eleven of the victims rescued from the inferno were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
The hospital’s head of Information Unit, Ayodeji Bobade, said the remaining seven victims were being given the best services available.
“We have seven patients left. We are managing them with the best we have even though the degree of burn sustained is high.”