About four persons were at the wee hours of Sunday feared killed after three petroleum tankers and an articulated truck exploded on Kara Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The explosion occurred around 12:30am following collision of two tankers laden with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Gas on the outward Lagos lane.
Aside the two tankers, the fire which followed their collision extended to another tanker and a trailer, said to have also exploded.
Those feared killed, The Nation gathered, were most likely drivers of the four affected vehicles as burnt human bones were discovered by emergency workers around 10am.
Confirming the incident, Director General (DG) Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu said the identities of the victims can only be ascertained by DNA, since only burnt human bones were seen.
“We cannot even know the number of people who died now. You can see that it is only human bones we have seen so far. It will take pathology examination to ascertain the number of persons and identify them.
“Investigation conducted at the incident scene attributed the cause of the inferno to reckless driving. As visibility has improved, we have determined that four articulated trucks were ravaged by the fire comprising two laden with 33,000 litres of PMS each; a single truck laden with several cubic feet of compressed natural gas and one articulated tipper truck.
“The inferno has been extinguished with the combined efforts of the Lagos Fire Service, LRU fire and other stakeholders (UBA Fire, Julius Berger Fire team) due to the magnitude of the inferno. Recovery operation ongoing,” he said.
Similarly, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in a traffic directory issued Sunday morning appealed to motorists to seek alternative routes in other to allow rescuers conclude their mission on Kara Bridge.
It said officials of the commission as well as men of the fire services were promptly mobilised to the scene when the incident occurred.
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“The inferno has already affected three tankers and a trailer. The situation is affecting movement inward Berger arrival into Kara Bridge at the moment.
“The FRSC is admonishing motorists who have reasons to use the road to seek alternative for now to allow the personnel of Fire Service on ground to extinguish the fire.
“The rescue operation is still ongoing and an updated version of the travel advisory will be sent later. Those moving out of Lagos this morning can use the Victoria Island by Ajah to Ijebu Ode to continue their journey. The Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway to Sagamu Interchange is another alternative that motorists can use at the moment.
“The FRSC Sector Commander, Lagos State Command, Olusegun Ogungbemide, empathises with the motoring public especially those on essential duties and assured that the FRSC operatives would remain at the scene till normalcy is restored .
“The Sector Commander advises operators of vehicles used for transporting highly inflamable petroleum products to operate them in strict conformity with safety standards prescribed by the 1957 United Nations Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangereous Goods by Road (ADR), which Nigeria acceded to as a Contracting Party,” FRSC’s spokesman in Lagos, Olabisi Sonusi said.
