PM News reported that the incident happened at 1.45am on Tuesday, October 6 around NAFDAC office in Oshodi. A tanker, loaded with 33,000 litres of fuel fell while trying to navigate a bend behind NAFDAC office.
The fuel spilled on the road forcing an oncoming vehicle to stop. A smaller truck reportedly did not understand why the first truck had stopped and overtook it. A blast from the exhaustion pipe caused a spark that resulted in the fire.
Michael Akindele, the general manager of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed that the spark from the smaller truck ignited the fire. The drivers of the three vehicles managed to escape the fire but a man who was scooping fuel after the truck fell was burnt to death.
The manager said the quick response of LASEMA and men from the fire service prevented the fire from spreading and causing more danger although three trucks were burnt. He added that LASTMA officials were on ground to remove the burnt vehicles.
Akindele lamented that the life of the man that got burnt would have been spared if he had not tried to scoop fuel. He warned Lagosians to desist from the dangerous acts as they could not tell when spilled fuel might cause fire.
Tanker drivers have faced criticism in Lagos recently over the spate of accidents involving fuel tankers. In order to reduce accidents involving trucks, Lagos state government placed a curfew on heavy duty vehicles but tanker drivers rejected the curfew on the grounds that they are not bound by Lagos state laws.
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