In the past seven days, separate gas tanker explosions in Rivers, Osun, and Delta States have resulted in the loss of at least 13 lives, 130 vehicles, and an undisclosed number of houses.
Reports from NewsNow indicate a consistent occurrence of tanker explosions in the country, leading to the tragic loss of lives and properties.
These recent incidents have sparked concerns among stakeholders, prompting calls for improved methods of transporting all petroleum products nationwide.
Notably, on April 27, a tanker transporting Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) caught fire, claiming lives and destroying over 120 vehicles in Rivers State.
In the tragic incident, five individuals, including a pregnant woman, lost their lives.
The incident took place between the Indorama Petro-Chemical Company Gate and the Aleto Bridge on the busy Eleme section of the East-West Road, currently undergoing significant reconstruction by the Federal Government.
Just 12 hours after the Rivers incident, another gas tanker exploded in Ita-Osin, Abeokuta, Ogun State on April 29, resulting in one fatality and five people sustaining serious injuries.
The explosion, which also burnt five vehicles, occurred due to a suspected brake failure, causing the tanker to collide with a road culvert and burst into flames.
According to Florence Okpe, the spokesperson of the Ogun State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, the deceased individual was believed to be the motorboy of the gas-laden tanker.
Subsequently, on May 4, a petroleum tanker explosion in Ometan-Okpe community along the Effurun-Sapele Road in Delta State led to the death of eight individuals.
Among the casualties were a breastfeeding mother and her three-month-old baby, both of whom tragically perished in the incident.
Several others, including a 16-year-old girl and her mother, also lost their lives during the fire outbreak in their residence.
Eyewitnesses revealed that the tanker lost control while overtaking another truck, leading to an explosion when the front part detached from the rear compartment during motion.
All structures at the accident scene were consumed by the flames, and some trapped residents suffered fatal burns.
Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Edafe Bright, confirmed the recovery of eight bodies from the scene, attributing the accident to the detachment of the tanker’s head from the body, triggering the fatal blaze.
He elaborated, “The tanker’s head separated from the body during the fall, igniting a massive fire that claimed those lives.”
About seven residences, five shops, including point of sale (POS) outlets, were razed, and four vehicles, including a car and a truck, were destroyed in the inferno.
Governors and FG collaborate to address recurring gas explosions
The Nigerian Governors Forum, comprising all 36 governors, revealed ongoing discussions with key federal agencies in the oil and gas industry to implement safer petroleum product transportation methods nationwide.
During a visit to Governor Siminalayi Fubara at the Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt, Forum Chairman AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq announced plans for a review of relevant laws and increased engagement between regulatory bodies to enhance safety measures.
In a similar vein, the Federal Government pledged to cease granting licenses to gas companies lacking the infrastructure to construct gas distribution pipelines.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Gas, Ekperikpe Ekpo, emphasized the need to discourage compressed natural gas transportation via roads to prevent future incidents like the one in Ita Oshin, Abeokuta.
He mandated that companies seeking licenses must demonstrate the capacity to transport gas through pipelines, emphasizing the government’s commitment to developing gas pipeline infrastructure for safer transportation and reducing dependence on road-bound conveyance.
Former Federal Road Safety Corps officer, Danjuma Alkali, proposed banning night travels as a measure to prevent such tragedies, attributing many incidents to driver fatigue from inadequate rest.
He urged for legislation prohibiting nighttime journeys to enable law enforcement agencies to enforce the ban and enhance safety on the roads.
Alkali stressed the significance of discouraging nocturnal trips, especially for tanker drivers, to curb accidents stemming from breakdowns and driver exhaustion.