45,000-litre petrol tanker overturns in Lagos

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A tanker loaded with 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit overturned at Isimi, Epe, Lagos State, on Thursday, spilling its contents onto the roadway.

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The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency disclosed this in a statement signed by its Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu.

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The agency said no life was lost and no injury was recorded in the incident.

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According to the statement, the tanker, with registration number T-18212LA, was involved in an accident with a Ford pickup van, marked KJA-13FJ, which had developed a mechanical fault and was stationary along the carriageway.

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LASEMA said, “Preliminary investigation revealed that the tanker, while attempting to manoeuvre past the stationary Ford pickup van which had developed a mechanical fault along the carriageway, had one of its rear tyres slip into a pit, causing it to overturn and fall onto the pickup van, leading to spillage of its highly inflammable contents onto the roadway.”

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The agency said it received a distress call at 10:19am and immediately activated its LRT Beta Whales Team stationed at Epe.

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It said, “Upon arrival, responders observed a tanker laden with 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, with registration number T-18212LA, which was involved in an accident with a Ford pickup van loaded with animal feed, with registration number KJA-13FJ.”

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LASEMA said it activated its multi-agency incident management protocol, with the LRT working alongside the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps and the Nigeria Police Force.

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It said the agencies “promptly secured the incident perimeter, implemented traffic control and diversion measures, and deployed safety protocols to prevent a secondary incident.”

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According to the agency, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service blanketed the fallen tanker and its immediate surroundings with chemical foam to mitigate the risk of a fire outbreak.

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“The affected section of the road was temporarily closed to vehicular movement to ensure public safety,” the statement added.

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LASEMA said the remaining PMS was successfully transferred from the damaged tanker to an empty tanker.

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“Through seamless coordination and professional execution, the transloading of the remaining PMS from the accidented tanker to an empty tanker was successfully completed without incident,” it said.

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The agency added that both vehicles were subsequently removed from the roadway with the aid of a private tow truck and taken to Ketu Police Station.

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“The road has since been reopened and is now free for vehicular activities,” LASEMA said.

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The agency said, “Fortunately, no loss of life or injury was recorded in the incident.”

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Oke-Osanyintolu commended the emergency responders for their intervention, saying, “The swift response and synergy of all emergency responders whose professionalism averted what could have resulted in a major disaster.”

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He also appealed to motorists, particularly heavy-duty vehicle and tanker drivers, to ensure their vehicles were in good mechanical condition and exercise caution on Lagos roads.

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The statement said, “The Permanent Secretary appeals to motorists, particularly drivers of heavy-duty vehicles and tankers conveying combustible products, to ensure their vehicles are in good mechanical condition, adhere strictly to traffic regulations, and exercise utmost caution on Lagos roads.”

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It urged members of the public to report emergencies and road incidents through the 767 and 112 toll-free emergency lines.

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