Explosion in Baruwa
An Explosion occurred at a petrol station in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos. The explosion ignited a fire at the petrol station in the early hours of Thursday. The blast occurred in Baruwa, a town located in Lagos, which is a largely residential area. Due to the occurrence of the explosion in the residential area, at least eight people were killed. Additionally, the explosion destroyed a primary school, at least 25 homes, and 16 shops.
Nigeria,s State Emergency Management Agency (Sema) said in a report that it was unclear what caused the blast. They additionally added in their statement that a gas emission had been identified and contained.
The explosion in Baruwa occurred in a series of deadly explosions that have been happening in Nigeria. Just days before the Baruwa tragedy, a lorry carrying fuel had exploded in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State in central Nigeria.
Explosion in Lokoja
The incident occurred on a Wednesday morning on a major highway in Lokoja.
The highway is located in the center of the city and was very busy on that day. A driver of a tanker was coming from Okene and heading towards the northern part of the country. The driver of the tanker was carrying petrol when he lost control of his truck after the brakes failed on the busy road. The truck rammed into two motorcycles, five cars, and three tricycles due to the loss of control on the busy Lokoja Abuja highway. The truck then skidded off the road, overturned, and caught fire on the busy highway.
When the tanker overturned, it fell on one car carrying a family. Due to the truck’s weight, the family was crushed to death instantly before it burst into flames. Others who died included students who were crossing the road to go to college and pedestrians. A primary school student also lost his life due to the explosion.
Numerous other pedestrian suffered severe burns and were rushed to the hospital. Several of those who lost their lives were burnt beyond recognition. Additionally, numerous vehicles were destroyed in the inferno, including a bus carrying students from the state polytechnic. The Federal Road Safety Commission of Nigeria confirmed that about 30 people were killed in the incident.
The governor of Lokoja sent his condolences to the families of victims of the tragic explosion. Mr. Yaya Bello Said that it was sad that numerous vehicles, property, and other valuables were lost to the truck fire. Furthermore, Bello sent his sympathies to the sate polytechnic students over the death of some of their colleagues.
Cause of the Tragedies
Fuel truck accidents are common on Nigerian roads. Mostly the accidents are blamed on the country’s ill-maintained roads. Normally, when these types of accidents occur in Nigeria, the government always says that the explosions’ causes are unclear. Observers, however, state that his tragedies are common because of poorly maintained roads. Furthermore, observers note that the unavailability of an efficient way of transporting fuel to petrol stations causes these accidents.
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