[files] A fireman sprays water after a gas tanker caught fire, triggering explosions.Ruth McDowall / AFP
There is hardly any state in the country that has not experienced tanker explosion and market fires. From Lagos to Maiduguri and Onitsha to Sokoto, the story is the same. And there is hardly a week that accidents involving fuel tankers does not occur in various parts of the country especially Lagos, which is home to most vehicular movements and automobiles. People are bemoaning the fire disasters ravaging markets, which compound the suffering and poverty in the land.
In February and March, there were fire incidents at Iddo Train Terminus and Otedola Bridge, respectively. The Otedola Bridge incident involved a tanker that exploded and caught fire. There was also a gas explosion in April at Iyasoko Street in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area. In May alone, three separate fire incidents occurred in other parts of Lagos; first in Oshodi Market, the cause of which was unknown. A tanker also caught fire at Banire on Ikotun Road in Alimosho LGA.
There is need for the authorities and traders to team up and put preventive measures to ensure safety of fuel tankers, as a short term measure; while other options of transporting petroleum products safely are explored. Regulatory measures need be strengthened both on the roads and in markets. For instance, power fluctuation, which has been blamed for some of the fires, could be curtailed through stricter rules on power usage and the use of generators.