Lagos Decries Fuel Scooping At Fallen Tanker Scene

THE Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), on Monday, January 19, expressed concern over potential fire outbreak that could have arisen from the scooping of fuel from a fallen tanker on Liverpool Bridge, inward Mile 2.
To forestall any such incident, the agency, in collaboration with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, had carried out a rescue operation.
The Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Transportation, Sola Giwa, in a statement, said preliminary security findings indicated that an articulated Iveco tanker (RBC 98 XX), heavily laden with diesel, lost control and toppled onto the bridge.
Giwa added that the incident caused significant structural damage to the tanker and led to the uncontrolled spillage of large volumes of diesel across the carriageway.
He added: “Of grave concern was the spillage of the highly combustible petroleum product from the elevated bridge to the area beneath.
“Some unscrupulous individuals attempted to scoop the diesel, compounding the volatility and danger inherent in the situation.”
He stated that upon receipt of the emergency alert, LASTMA operatives immediately mobilised to the scene and promptly dispersed the crowd engaged in the act, noting that the affected area was cordoned off and an inter-agency emergency response mechanism was swiftly activated by notifying security operatives and the state fire and rescue service.
According to him: “This resolute and timely intervention effectively neutralised the imminent threat of combustion. It prevented what could have escalated into a devastating inferno with dire human, environmental and infrastructural ramifications.
“The driver of the distressed tanker, who sustained severe injuries in the course of the accident, was rescued by LASTMA officials.
“He was conveyed to the General Hospital, Apapa, where he is currently receiving comprehensive medical attention.”
Giwa stated that officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) from Area ‘B,’ Apapa, provided robust security reinforcement, ensuring maximum safety, orderliness and situational control at the scene, adding: “The officers worked in close collaboration with other emergency responders to maintain crowd control, regulate traffic flow and stabilise the environment.”
He explained that an alternative empty tanker was promptly deployed to facilitate the transloading of the remaining diesel, while vehicular movement was diverted by LASTMA to the opposite carriageway.
While commending quick response, efficiency and coordination displayed by LASTMA personnel and other emergency responders, he said their collective professionalism averted what could have culminated in another tragic fire disaster.
Giwa charged the public to consistently exhibit heightened safety consciousness and abstain from what he described as “the perilous practice of scooping petroleum products” during tanker accidents involving diesel or Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), warning that such reckless conduct poses severe threats to lives, property and the environment.