We are just waiting for security personnel to arrive so that they can put out the fire. People are inside the fire getting burned.
In Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, there was a fuel tanker explosion that reportedly resulted in the deaths of many people.
Specifically, the occurrence took place on Friday morning. Iyemanja community, which is located along the highway in Okolowo axis, Ilorin, is the location of the blazing fire that was captured in a live video that was uploaded to Facebook by a user named Orioye Chanter Ijobaibile.
Orioye provided a narration of the horrible incident on the film, telling the audience that, “People are inside the cars, and the fire is burning. What is more concerning is that some trucks carrying fuel are passing near the fire.
“This is a risky situation because the trucks could catch fire as well. We are just waiting for security personnel to arrive so that they can put out the fire. People are inside the fire getting burned.”
While the fire continued to grow, it posed a threat to other vehicles and properties in the area. As of the time that this report was filed, emergency services had not yet arrived at the location of the fire.
IREPORT247NEW reported on February 12 that tanker explosion has claimed 493 lives in just three years and trucks with a capacity of 60,000 liters may be prohibited from using federal roadways by the Federal Government, according to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
This comes in the wake of the rising death toll from gasoline tanker accidents, which have claimed 493 lives in just three years.
The Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, revealed this at a stakeholder engagement on the recurrence of road tanker accidents held on February 12 at its headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting aimed to provide long-term solutions to the frequent accidents involving petroleum tankers that have resulted in loss of life and property.
He said, “We are here today to discuss the recent trend in road tanker accidents and the resultant fatalities and other consequences. The public is watching helplessly and looking forward to intervention to protect lives and properties.
“In the year 2022, four road tanker accidents were recorded that led to 7 fatalities and 3 injuries. The number of incidents decreased in the year 2023 to two, resulting in 24 fatalities and five injuries. By the year 2024, the number of accidents increased to 11 incidents leading to 341 fatalities and 124 injuries.
“This year to date, we have already recorded five road tanker accidents leading to 121 fatalities and 79 injuries. These incidents are unnecessary and unacceptable. They must be prevented and brought down to zero.
Ahmed claimed that since the authorities had already implemented preventive measures, the incidents were needless and undesirable.
According to him, the actions consist of determination of an appropriate truck carrying capacity of (60,000 litres versus 45,000 litres) given the negative impact on the roads.
Ahmed said that safe-to-load measures like color coding and branding of all tank trucks should be put into place.
FRSC spot checks on drunk drivers and drivers who are fatigued. Post emergency numbers and first responders to block off accident scenes after the crash.
Public education and awareness-raising regarding the risks associated with collecting volatile hydrocarbons from accident scenes. recurring gatherings with interested parties. establishing routes and commute times in order to regulate route management.
He noted that in order to guarantee the safe and secure operation of the energy provision and distribution business, the industry as a whole developed the requirements based on lessons learned from past incidents and safety studies.