How Indian Hemp Smokers Caused Forte Oil Tanker Explosion in Ojuelegba, Lagos [PICS]

Investigations on the early Saturday morning fire incident that struck at the Ojuelegba bridge has revealed that the activities of indian hemp smokers in the area ignited the fire that caused intense damages.

About six houses and 10 vehicles were burnt when a Forte Oil fuel tanker spilled its content around the Ojuelegba area of Surulere, Lagos State, early on Saturday,

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt

that the fuel-laden tanker was conveying 33,000 litres of petrol and fell on the railings of the Ojuelegba bridge around 3.00 a.m.

Speaking on the incident, Mr Rasak Fadipe, Director, Lagos State Fire Service, said that the tanker was ascending the Ojuelegba bridge, but rolled back and spilled the content on the road.

Fadipe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that some of the spilled content went into manholes and a canal in the area.

“When we came here at about 5.30 a.m, we tried to dispense liquid foam into the manholes and canal to avoid fire outbreak.

“I went round to see the area affected by the spill. While going round, I met some men smoking Indian hemp along the canal. I warned them and told them that it may result to fire outbreak.

“They shunned my advice. It was not long after talking with them that the fire broke out from there.

“If we had not dispensed chemical foams into the canal, the whole of Barracks area in Surulere would have been burnt down. So far, there were no deaths but three persons were taken to a hospital as a result of shock,” Fadipe said.

A resident of the area, Miss Wunmi Bolu, however, told NAN that the fire started at 4.00 a.m, hours after the tanker fell at 3.00 a.m.

“It was when they were trying to tow the tanker that the chain broke and fuel started spilling,” she said, explaining that it later led to the fire.

She said that some residents who were injured had been rushed to the Randle Hospital in Surulere for treatment.

Another resident of the area, who identified himself as Mr Matore, told NAN that his wife woke him up at about 2:30 a.m. before the fire started at 4:00 a.m.

“My wife woke me up at about 2:30 a.m. and said she could smell fuel, so I came out and there were many of us outside trying to know what was going on.

“When we thought everything was fine, we went back to sleep only for my wife to wake me up again at 4.00 a.m that she could hear people shouting fire.

“I quickly got up and took my children to my sister’s place on the Island,” Matore told NAN.

At the scene, fire fighters were present with four fire trucks, as the tanker, was later taken off the bridge. NAN reported that the fire damaged houses at Allen, Akintan, Benson, Ajoke Dosumu streets within the vicinity as a result of the spilling of the fuel.

At one of the affected buildings, three members of a family were taken to Randle General Hospital, Surulere, due to shock.

A member of the family and a graduate of Microbiology, Mr Olashina Jinadu, said his parents and one of his brothers were in the hospital due to shock.

“We were sleeping when we heard a loud bang and people started shouting. Everyone rushed down from upstairs. We could not salvage any property. The fire from the canal was blown against our building by the wind,” Jinadu said.

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Fatai Owoseni, said that no arrest was made and no death was recorded.

Owoseni led a team of policemen from Area C to ensure that area boys did not loot homes.