A fire outbreak late Tuesday night wreaked havoc along Agbado Road in the Toyin area of Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State, destroying several shops and goods after a gas tanker caught fire.
Margaret Adeseye, Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, confirmed the incident in a statement to Okay.ng on Tuesday, stating that the fire erupted around 10:04 p.m. local time.
The blaze, triggered by a gas tanker accident and subsequent explosion, quickly spread to nearby shops.
“The fire, which was reported at 22:04hrs Tuesday as a result of a gas tanker that accidentally caught fire and accompanied by an explosion, has been confined to the tanker and the adjoining row of shops it spread to as concerted efforts are ongoing to forestall further spread to protect the environment and property, including the nearby Kerozone Petroleum Filling Station,” Adeseye stated.
According to Ibrahim Farinloye, Lagos State Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), the tanker collided with an electric pole while attempting to enter the premises for offloading, causing a cable to snap and spark the explosion.
“There was a fire incident. It started when a tanker that was about to offload its content in a filling station along the road collided with an electric pole. The impact of the collision led to a cable falling on the container and therefore resulted in a spark,” Farinloye explained.
Fortunately, emergency responders, including the Lagos State Fire Services and NEMA, swiftly intervened to contain the blaze, preventing any loss of life.
However, the fire caused significant damage to several shops, leaving traders devastated.
“While no lives were lost, some shops were destroyed,” Farinloye added, emphasizing the coordinated efforts that averted further casualties.
