Two bodies have been recovered while four persons sustained various degrees of injury after a petrol laden tanker exploded at the Otedola Bridge, Lagos, on Tuesday night.
Also, four buildings including a church and 15 vehicles were destroyed by the tanker fire that raged all through the night.
Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police Command, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, explained that a total of four buildings, 15 burnt vehicles, including tricycles, an unspecified number of shops, and household properties were lost in the inferno.
According to Hundeyin, the number of human lives lost is still being quantified, as only two bodies have been recovered so far.
“The accident was suspected to have occurred when the vehicle was trying to ascend the link road to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway by Otedola Bridge. Consequently, the vehicle somersaulted, spilled its entire contents on the road, and fire ignited immediately.
“The vehicle’s registration number and make are still unknown. However, a total of four buildings, 15 burnt vehicles, including tricycles, an unspecified number of shops, and household properties were lost in the inferno.
“The number of human lives lost is still being quantified, as only two bodies have been recovered. A private hospital was affected, but details of the victims there remain sketchy. More updates will follow as the rescue operation continues.”
However, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the death of one person in the explosion.
According to the South West Coordinator, Ibrahim Farinloye, four others sustained varying degrees of injuries. As of 10:20 p.m., he stated that a commercial storey building was affected by the resulting fire.
“One person died, four people were injured, 14 vehicles and four shops were destroyed, while one commercial storey building was affected,” Farinloye said.
Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, earlier disclosed that the fire spread to a church, an adjoining bungalow, and four vehicles.
Panic-stricken motorists scrambled to escape the scene, with some making hasty U-turns while others abandoned their vehicles in fear of being trapped in the inferno.
