Unidentified Person, Vehicles Burnt As Tanker Explodes In Lagos

At least one unidentified person was burnt beyond recognition and two vehicles were also destroyed in an inferno as a fuel laden tanker explodes in Lagos on Saturday night.

Our correspondent gathered that the incident happened at Anthony area of the state when the driver of the petrol tanker lost control and the vehicle fell and subsequently exploded.

The explosion caused pandemonium as motorists abandoned their vehicles and fled from the scene while passengers and others close to the scene also ran for their lives.

The incident led to traffic snarl as vehicles were forced to stop due to the raging fire. Fire fighters and other emergency responders in the state and the police moved to the scene to battle the fire and to make sure that criminals did not vandalised vehicles and goods abandoned on the road.

The Director General of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the incident in a statement.

The statement read, “Preliminary report on a tanker on fire at Anthony inward Gbagada. The agency responded to distress calls and upon arrival at the scene of incident, it was discovered that a tanker with unknown registration number conveying Premium Motor Spirit lost control while in motion and subsequently fell on its side.

“This led to an explosion in which two unidentified vehicles were burnt. An unidentified body burnt beyond recognition was discovered under the burnt containerized truck and was recovered and bagged by the LRT and handed over to SEHMU. A joint team of responders led by

“The DG LASEMA, LASG fire Service, LRU Fire Unit, Nigeria Police and LASTMA worked together to curb the inferno from escalating further. The fire was successfully extinguished by the joint effort of LRT, LASG fire service and LRU fire unit.”