By Esther Onyegbula
A major disaster was averted, yesterday evening, after a fuel-laden tanker fell and spilled its contents in front of the Nigerian Maritime Resources Development Centre, a facility of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, at Kirikiri, Lagos.
The incident, which occurred along the busy Kirikiri axis, forced emergency responders to shut down vehicular movement within a 500-metre radius to prevent a possible explosion.
When Vanguard visted the scene, officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, and the police were seen dousing the spill and supervising the transloading of the remaining fuel into another tanker.
There was no fire outbreak, no casualty and no property damage at press time.
Vanguard observed three fire trucks on ground battling to neutralise the flammable spill, while security personnel cordoned off the area to keep motorists and pedestrians away.
A large crowd, including passers-by, gathered at a distance as shop owners hurriedly shut their business premises out of fear of a possible explosion. Many, however, stayed close by, monitoring the situation.
An eyewitness who spoke to Vanguard, blamed the accident on a pothole near the NIMASA office, alleging that it is deliberately created by individuals to force vehicles to slow down for extortion.
According to him, “No matter how government repairs the spot, unknown people still come at night to dig the hole, so that vehicles can slow down. That way, road safety, police officers and touts collect money from motorists, especially tanker drivers.”
The situation is cunrrently under control at press time, with responders working to restore normalcy and ensure safety. Motorists were advised to take alternative routes pending clearance of the scene.
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