By Monsuru Olowoopejo
Following the recovery of NPPC burnt tanker from Obalende roundabout, scene of the tanker inferno, Lagos Government has disclosed that the victim, who died during the inferno, was a female child.
It identified the victim as Benedicta Wesu and that her corpse has been handed over to the father, Gaston Wesu, on request for commencement of burial rites.
The State Government disclosure came hours after Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) assured relatives of the victims that the inferno would be investigated to ascertain the cause and prevent a future occurrence in the country.
It was gathered that the deceased was among the first set of residents affected by the inferno that has left 16 people including a fireman, with different degrees of burns in the state.
Confirming the identity of the deceased, Director-General of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, disclosed that the operation at the scene was completed at 22:54 pm with the movement of the burnt wreckage to the Olusosun Dumpsite with the aid of the Agency’s heavy-duty equipments.
“Upon the arrival of the responders at the incident scene it was revealed that a 45,000 laden Tanker carrying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) exploded when navigating the roundabout section under the Obalende bridge.
“Two victims were rushed to the nearby General hospital before the arrival of the emergency responders whilst one fatality Female Child (Wesu Benedicta) was bagged and handed over to the Father (Wesu Gaston) of the Deceased.
“The inferno was finally put out at 18:54 hours of the evening after about an hour of combating the inferno by the Emergency Responders (LASEMA Response Teams, LASG Fire, Federal Fire, UBA Fire, OVH Energy Fire, Nigeria Police Force, and LNSC),” Oke-Osanyintolu added.
“At the last count recorded one fatality, 15 minor casualties and one major casualty, who is a Lagos State Firefighter, has been subsequently transferred to the Lagos State General Hospital for treatment while minor casualties were attended at the scene of the incident”.
The director-general hinted that the tanker laden with 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) exploded while navigating the roundabout section of the road, beneath the Obalende Bridge in a lone accident.
“The raging inferno which was jointly combated by LASEMA, and it’s First Responders from the Federal Fire, the LASG Fire, LRU Fire, UBA Fire, OVH Energy Fire, with combined efforts of RRS from the Lagos Command of the Nigerian Police Force and LNSC providing needed security during and after the fire incident”.
