At least, four persons, including an auto technician named Rotimi Adeleye, lost their lives, and over 16 vehicles were burnt in a tanker explosion on Tuesday night at the Otedola Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

While some residents and shop owners claimed that emergency responders recovered more than 10 bodies on Wednesday, others confirmed that the only known casualties were the gas tanker driver, his motor boy, an unidentified woman, and Adeleye.

The explosion, which happened at 8:08 p.m. on Tuesday, was triggered by a 30-tonne tanker carrying gas products, owned by a nearby gas station.

Our correspondent, who visited the affected areas in search of the explosion victims on Wednesday, learnt that a medical facility called De-Twist Dental Clinic was severely impacted, and both the generator house and security post of a nearby church building sustained damage from the blast.

During an interview with PUNCH Metro, the chairman of the Mechanic Association at Advance Mechanic Workshop in the area, Kolawole Ishola, revealed that Adeleye was caught in the explosion while attempting to drive a customer’s 016 Highlander to safety.

He said, “Our shops are not located on the main road, but our colleague, Mr. Rotimi Adeleye, lost his life in the accident. He had closed for the day and was leaving when the fire broke out while driving his Corolla out of the workshop.

“When the tanker fell, he stepped out of his vehicle and attempted to move a customer’s 016 Highlander to safety when the explosion occurred.

“Both his car and the customer’s vehicle he was trying to save were completely burnt. He is set to be buried this morning (Wednesday). There are two shops in our area, and the fire destroyed everything, including customers’ vehicles under repair, with a total loss of 16 cars.”

A middle-aged woman, Tola Kareem, who narrowly escaped the explosion with her four children and an apprentice, told our correspondent that the blast destroyed her two shops inside the mechanic village, along with her Camry.

“I have two shops, which I just restocked yesterday. I sell various kinds of drinks as well as clothes. I also have two freezers and three hangers in the shop.

“Both shops were destroyed in the fire, and I also lost my Camry. My children, employees, and I barely escaped by a miracle, running outside as soon as we heard the loud explosion,” she said.

A security guard at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Rafiu Jafar, recounted the harrowing incident to our correspondent.

He described how the tanker driver desperately tried to prevent disaster by honking loudly and avoiding a collision with a building.

Read Also:

Eleven family members heading for burial died in Enugu tanker explosion

He said, “My colleague was preparing yam inside, and I was greeting some people outside when we saw the gas tanker speeding down the CMD Road. Tankers don’t usually take this route, and I’ve never seen one come this way until last night.

“The honking was excessive. The driver tried not to ram into the building, but he died in the explosion. His body was the last one they retrieved from under the tanker. His motor boy also didn’t survive; they picked up his body. And this morning, they found a woman’s body too and a mechanic at the workshop.

“When the tanker hit a pole, it didn’t explode immediately. The entire atmosphere changed. As we started running, it felt like the fire was chasing us. It burnt them beyond recognition. There’s usually traffic around this area, but last night, there was none. It could have been much worse.

“I am the security guard here. My colleague is severely injured. Part of the church was burnt; if you check the backyard, you’ll see the damage. The generators were also destroyed. There was supposed to be a programme here today (Wednesday). All my documents and belongings in the building are gone.”

Reflecting on the losses from the explosion, a hairstylist and employee at one of the burnt shops, Blessing Sani, said, “I left here around 7:24 p.m. Shortly after, someone called to ask if I was safe. We lost everything; television, air conditioning system, and hair worth over N10m. We also had customers’ hair in the shop.”

A security guard at the De-Twist Dental Clinic, known simply as Paul, said, “I worked from home yesterday. I was supposed to resume this morning, only to find that everything had been completely burnt.”

The victims who lost their means of livelihood pleaded with the state government and emergency agencies for assistance.

Meanwhile, the Federal Road Safety Corps, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Olusegun Ogungbemide, on Wednesday, noted that their swift action prevented further destruction and potential fatalities.

According to the statement, the FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, expressed deep concern over the accident’s preventable nature and reiterated the importance of strict adherence to safety protocols for vehicles carrying dangerous goods.

Mohammed warned fleet managers, vehicle owners, and drivers to prioritise safety measures in the management of their fleets to avoid such incidents.

He further cautioned that any violation would be met with appropriate sanctions under the National Road Traffic Regulations.

The statement noted that the Corps Marshal emphasised that the FRSC would continue to deploy its resources and expertise to handle emergencies, ensuring the safety of all road users.

He also urged the public to remain alert and report any emergencies to the FRSC or other relevant authorities through their toll-free emergency line, 122.

“The FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, who expressed his displeasure over the preventable crash, called on all fleet managers to make safety precautions a priority in fleet management.

“He warned against neglecting necessary safety measures, stating that appropriate sanctions will continue to be meted out to the drivers and Vehicle Owners who compromise safety to the detriment of other Road Users by the provisions of the National Road Traffic Regulations.

“He affirmed that the FRSC would continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety of all road users and would not hesitate to deploy resources and expertise to respond to any emergency.

“The Corps Marshal also urged all road users to remain vigilant and report any emergency to the FRSC or other relevant authorities through the Corps’ toll-free emergency line 122,” the statement read in part.”