Nigerians in anguish, despair over incessant petrol tanker fire

Nigerians in anguish, despair over incessant petrol tanker fire. Another terrifying image was shown to Nigerians this week when a fuel truck caught fire in Ogun State on Thursday.

States like Ogun, Lagos, and Anambra have come to be associated with such heinous tragedies, which typically left behind tears and misery at the immeasurable loss of lives and property.

At least two people were burned beyond recognition in the most recent incident in Ogun, and rescuers were only able to load their charred remains into a body bag.

The event left seven vehicles entirely destroyed and three additional people with severe burns, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

The tanker was mounting the Ilo Awele hill, next to the Abeokuta-Lagos portion of the road, when it dropped at 1:30 am, spilt its contents, and burst into flames, according to Florence Okpe, an FRSC spokesman in Ogun.

This is not the first tragedy of this nature to affect Ogun this year. Additionally, it has repeatedly occurred in other States.

However, Nigerians are concerned that the government has not been able to take strong action to at least lessen the frequency of this catastrophe.

Remember that the previous governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, prohibited the movement of tankers and other articulated trucks throughout the day on November 1, 2019.

A huge fire event involving a fuel tanker that toppled at Upper Iweka Road in Onitsha and spilled its contents led to the ban shortly after. The oil leak spread flames from Upper Iweka to Ochanja market, a distance of nearly five kilometers, by running through the drainage systems. Along with the loss of life, there were also losses of homes, businesses, automobiles, and other types of property.

The statement prohibiting the movement was issued by the state’s then-commissioner for information, Mr. Don Adinuba, who stated: “The Anambra State Government has decided to restrict the period that trucks filled with petroleum products can move in the state.

“Starting on Saturday, November 2, 2019, only 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. will be permitted for such vehicles to operate throughout Anambra State. The restriction is necessary to allow organizations like the Anambra State Fire Service, the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps, Civil Defense, the Anambra Traffic Management Agency, as well as all other security, law enforcement, and safety organizations, to respond to emergencies brought on by such accidents quickly and effectively.

Petroleum tankers and other articulated vehicles continue to travel Anambra highways throughout the day three years after the prohibition.

On Wednesday, a tanker transporting kernel oil lost control and collapsed near Awka’s well-known Aroma intersection. The fact that nobody was harmed may be considered a fortunate accident given how busy Aroma Junction in Awka often is with both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

The tanker’s gushing contents startled drivers, vendors, and onlookers, who fled in fear of an impending explosion as a result of the collapse. Before anyone realized that it was kernel oil and not petroleum products, it took some time.

The event took at about 3 o’clock, when the neighborhood is generally crowded. If the ship had been carrying petroleum products and had exploded, no one would have been able to imagine the destruction.

Additionally, a second tanker crashed last Saturday at Nkwelle Ezunaka, close to Onitsha. According to DAILY POST, a fuel truck transporting petroleum products crashed into a ditch.

According to a source, the tanker driver lost control and crashed into a ditch, spilling its cargo, which caused a significant fire breakout nearby.

According to reports, locals ran out from their homes out of fear of being consumed by the flames.

According to information obtained by our correspondent, angry protesters attacked the fire fighters with stones and other potentially deadly objects after they were dispatched to the area and were forced to retreat.

Fearing for their life, the firemen turned around and fled the scene out of concern that their tools may also be lost.

However, in response to the event, Anambra State’s head fireman, Mr. Martin Agbili, said: “It is extremely terrible for the nasty behavior of people towards firemen and the Fire Service.

“When my crew and the first fire vehicles arrived at the T-junction Nkwelle fire scene, people began hurling rocks at them. The Fire Service is not the source of the fire; instead, it responds to an outbreak of fire to provide assistance to the public.

He said that police officers and vigilantes from the Nkwelle Ezunaka neighborhood were able to provide support, enabling the firefighters to return and carry out their duties. He continued by saying that two individuals who participated in throwing stones at his soldiers have

“After involving the Nigeria Police Force and the Vigilante, two of them who threw stones at my guys have been caught, while some others who have been identified are still at large. My guys were escorted back to the scene of the fire by the Nigeria Police and Local Vigilante squad. The fire has now been brought under control, he said. “Our Firefighters and fire engines are returned to the fire scene again to continue the fire fighting operation.”

While this is happening, some Anambra natives have responded to the tragedies involving oil tankers and urged the Anambra State government to take action to stop the threat in order to prevent repeat tragedies.

It is past time for the government to take action regarding the movement of tankers and other articulated vehicles in the State, according to Mr. Chibuzor Nwabueze, a merchant at Aroma Junction who observed the tanker catastrophe at the junction. We once had a catastrophe similar to this in Onitsha, which resulted in the loss of life and property. I recall that many politicians went there and used it as a pilgrimage spot where they went to solicit votes.

“A legislation was subsequently passed by Chief Willie Obiano, the then-governor of Anambra State, prohibiting all of these large vehicles from operating during the day. Now that we have a new governor, we are looking up to him even if he was unable to execute the law.

Mrs. Regina Ebere, another responder who sells bananas at Aroma Junction, expressed her regret that the threat posed by tanker brake failure was becoming out of control.

We believe that the construction of this flyover was done so that large truckers could utilize it, freeing the city’s ground roadways for vehicular traffic. What may have happened in this situation if the tanker’s driver had chosen not to strike the kerb? Many people would have perished if he had taken the right turn.

“This area has a vehicle park, individuals who work in the market like me, and continuous traffic. Even by chance, nobody was harmed. The government shouldn’t wait for a repeat of what happened in Upper Iweka. They either enact a new legislation to prevent the repeat of this catastrophe, or they can enforce the Obiano rule, which prohibits lorries from operating during the day.