Lagos tanker fire: Calm returns as victims bemoan losses

Many victims of the gas tanker explosion that occurred under the popular Otedola bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Lagos on Tuesday have lamented the damage the explosion did to them.

Although official reports put the number of casualties at four, eyewitnesses at the scene claimed that no fewer than seven people lost their lives in the explosion.

The explosion, which destroyed property and left many injured, remains a painful memory for those who witnessed its horror.

Most of the victims are traders and auto technicians who owned shops close to the site of the explosion.

The explosion was reportedly triggered by an accident involving a 30-tonne tanker carrying gas products.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that the tanker, which was owned by a nearby gas station, developed brake failure while attempting to climb uphill towards Magodo Estate on its way to discharge gas content, and rammed into some vehicles before bursting into flames.

An auto technician, Rotimi Adeleye, was among the victims who lost their lives in the explosion that also destroyed over 18 vehicles and nine tricycles.

It was gathered that Adeleye was caught in the explosion while attempting to drive a customer’s Toyota Highlander to safety.

Also affected were five shops, a building housing a medical facility, a dental clinic and a church.

Our correspondent, who visited the site of the accident on Friday morning, observed that some of the auto technicians had resumed work, while a trader, Tawa Kareem, whose shops and vehicles were burnt, sat under a tree still grieving over her loss.

Scavengers were also seen at the accident site, rummaging through the wreckage in search of scraps, while carcasses of burnt vehicles and tricycles, twisted metals, and burnt personal belongings littered the area.

Victims recount losses

Adeleye’s brother, Taye Iyadun, said his brother had just finished work for the day and was leaving his workshop when disaster struck.

According to him, Adeleye died while trying to drive his customer’s vehicle to safety.

Iyadun noted that Adeleye abandoned his own vehicle and rushed back to save the customer’s car when the fuel-laden tanker crashed.

“The vehicle he was trying to rescue belonged to a new customer. He had already fixed it and closed for the day when the incident happened.

“He was driving out of the workshop when the tanker crashed but he left his vehicle and rush back in a bid to save the customer’s vehicle, but he was caught in the explosion.

“He ran out of the vehicle, but while trying to escape, he fell. Both his vehicle and that of the customer eventually got burnt,” Iyadun said.

He added that the loss was particularly devastating for the family, as Adeleye’s wife had passed away three years ago, leaving him as the sole provider for their three children.

“Their responsibilities will be on me now. His last child is in 300 level at the University of Lagos, while the firstborn’s graduation comes up next Saturday. The second child just graduated from LASU,” the grieving brother said.

Iyadun added that with over 30 years of experience as an auto technician, Adeleye was well-respected for his generosity and kindness, saying “He brought me to Lagos and took care of me. His death is so painful. I don’t think the family can ever recover from this loss.”

Also recounting her losses, Tawa Kareem said she narrowly escaped from the explosion, but her two shops and Toyota Camry car were burnt.

“I just restocked my shops on the day of the incident. I lost my car worth N15m, and two shops stocked with goods worth over N10m,” Kareem said, the pain evident in her voice and demeanour.

A tricycle operator, Idris Rafiu, whose tricycle was burnt lamented that the explosion not only took away his only source of income, it also left him battling trauma.

“I don’t have anything again; my source of income is gone. I don’t know how I’m going to take care of my family again. I am really traumatised,” Rafiu said.