Pregnant woman, 8 others burn to death in Lagos - 2 fuel tankers explode - 8 vehicles, 12 shops razed

Lekan Olabulo and Adelowo Oladipo, Lagos - 25.07.2008

AN early morning inferno caused by oil spillage from a tumbled petrol tanker at Orile-Iganmu in Lagos on Thursday left at least nine people burnt to death with many others severely injured.

The dead included a pregnant woman, a soldier and traders who were sleeping in some of the shops affected by the fire.

At least eight other vehicles and 12 shops and millions of naira worth of property were consumed by the fire.

The fire, which started around 5.30 a.m, was put out around 7.30 a.m. by a combined team of firefighters, policemen and area boys who stormed the area.

The incident, according to the Nigerian Tribune investigations, started when a tanker filled with contents suspected to be petrol lost control and tumbled at Orile Bus Stop.

Nigerian Tribune also gathered that the tumbled trailer emptied its contents on the road and a thunderous explosion followed.

A resident of the area who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune on the incident stated that the whole environment was shaken by the thunderous explosion.

Efforts by policemen and motorists around the scene of the incident were yet to yield any fruit when a driver of another tanker forced his vehicle into the area and it exploded.

The unyielding driver of the second tanker engulfed in the fire had defied the warning of the people who were trying to cordon off the scene of the first accident when the second tanker also exploded.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the driver of the second tanker had claimed that there was nothing in his vehicle and that he would be able to find a way past the burning tanker.

The driver of the second tanker which was moving in the opposite direction of the first tanker earlier engulfed in the inferno had hardly gone past the burning tanker when another explosion occurred.

Eight other vehicles around at the time of the incident were burnt with nine people losing their lives while 12 shops at side of the road were also completely burnt.

The Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State police command, Frank Mba, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune on the incident, stated that eight people had been confirmed dead while nine others were injured with nine shops burnt.

Mba also added that the police in the state had begun investigations into the circumstances surrounding the inferno.