Bennett Oghifo
Another gory scene of hellish fire played out on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway at Ota, Ogun State, when a truck transporting premium motor spirit, fell and spilled its content which razed up 16 vehicles on its path.
The Public Education Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps, Ogun State Command, Route Commander Florence Okpe, said this yesterday in a statement she signed on behalf of the Ogun State Sector Commander, Corps Commander Clement Oladele.
According to the Corps Commander, the fiery incident took place five minutes to midnight on “the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway at Ota on Thursday 14 November 2019.”
Oladele stated in his ‘Report of Tanker Crash’, that the Crash Time was “2355HRS”, two people were killed, six injured and that 17 vehicles were involved.
He said the two burnt corpses were evacuated to the Ifo General Hospital, Ogun State, the six injured victims were rescued to Ota General Hospital, Ogun State, and that as at yesterday, clearance of obstruction was still in progress.
The Corps Commander said, “The suspected cause of the crash was a mechanically deficient truck conveying PMS (petrol) products that fell and spilled its contents. The spilled contents then spread from the ShopRite Mall in Ota up to the FRSC Command Office located at the old Toll Gate, Ota, destroying vehicles and other properties affected by the spilled inflammable contents.”
The FRSC Sector Commander Oladele advised motorists, especially tankers transporting flammable products like petroleum products to adhere strictly to the 1957 United Nations Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Roads (ADR), which Nigeria recently acceded to.
He said the Agreement, among other provisions, require trucks conveying dangerous goods, including petroleum products to be installed with tanker’s seal valve, which prevents the liquefied contents from spilling its contents in the event of a road traffic crash
He said, “While the FRSC has commenced investigation of the crash, the contents of the crashed tanker would not have spilled if the tanker was installed with a seal valve.”
The Sector Commander commiserated with the relations of the victims, adding that they may obtain more information about the crash from the FRSC Command in Ota, Ogun State or visit the General Hospitals in Ota and Ifo, both in Ogun State.
The Corps Commander listed the vehicles involved as: the petrol-bearing Tanker (Burnt); Blue Truck, Lnd19XY; White Bus XQ 828 FST; Toyota Car Mus494cc; Yellow Lt Bus Mus604xu; Blue Tipper App499xw; Toyota Sienna (Burnt); Black Eator Bray Truck (Burnt); Blue-Black Truck (Burnt); M/Benz Truck (Burnt); Pickup Van (Burnt); White Trailer (Burnt); Black Truck (Burnt); Dark Blue Truck (Burnt); Light Blue Truck (Burnt); Blue Truck Filled With Bundles of Millo Sachets (Burnt); and Dangote Cement Truck (Burnt).
