By Monalisa Agbata
A fire incident occurred on Wednesday caused by a fuel tanker at the Magboro section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The fuel spillage was reported to have also spilled to the road leading inward to Lagos causing major gridlock.
According to The PUNCH, as at the time of the report, fire fighters had arrived at the scene to curtail the fire.
In response to the mishap, The Federal Road Safety Commission’s Corridor Commander, Kehinde Hamzat, advised travelers who are on transit in and out of Lagos to explore alternative routes for their trips when necessary during the period, if they cannot out rightly cancel it.
Part of the statement read, “The Federal Road Safety Corps wishes to advise the general public on the need for adequate planning of their trips for today for users of the Lagos-Ibadan Corridor.
“The tanker explosion on Magboro bridge on the outward Lagos section of the expressway which occurred at about 0415hrs in the early hours of the day, Wednesday 2nd December, 2020 has called for the need to adjust one’s movement for the day.
“We, therefore, advise the general public to have adequate planning for their trips for those who cannot cancel their planned journeys. We also advise that travellers who are bound to transit in and out of Lagos from the neighbouring state to explore alternative routes where necessary.
“All hands on deck to ensure that the situation is professionally managed and the road returned to proper use for the public.”
“The tanker explosion on Magboro bridge on the outward Lagos section of the expressway which occurred at about 0415hrs in the early hours of the day, Wednesday 2nd December, 2020 has called for the need to adjust one’s movement for the day.
“The fire is still burning as at 05.20am and this means a total standstill situation of vehicular movement along the expressway.
“Relentless efforts are still being made to extinguish the fire by men of Fire Service backed up by men of other agencies around the scene of the inferno.
“We, therefore, advise the general public to have adequate planning for their trips for those who cannot cancel their planned journeys. We also advise that travelers who are bound to transit in and out of Lagos from the neighbouring state to explore alternative routes where necessary.
“All hands on deck to ensure that the situation is professionally managed and the road returned to proper use for the public.”
This is against the backdrop of several fire incidents on that same Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the last occurrence being on November 7, 2020, when a loaded fuel tanker caught fire. According to The Federal Road Safety Corps, no fewer than two persons had died in that incident and with 29 vehicles razed by fire.