By Louis Iba
There was panic at the Murlata Mohammed Airport Ikeja yesterday as a 33, 000 litres Jet A1 tanker loaded with fuel tumbled close to the access gate of the airport spilling it’s content and raising security concerns of a possible fire outbreak.
Eyewitness said that the tanker with the Lagos Registration number AAA 991 XQ fell as the driver tried to navigate the sharp bend around the toll gate.
The tanker was coming from Ikeja and was going to the international wing of the airport before the accident occurred around 10.am.
The anticipated tragedy was however averted with a quick response of the Fire Service men of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Lagos State Fire Service, the Nigerian Police and other security and emergency response institutions around the airport. “All the contents in the tanker spilled on the ground, a development that could have caused fire disaster but for the intervention of the emergency and rescue teams,” said an eyewitnesses who identified himself as Sule Idris. “Immediately the tanker fell, the driver was stocked in the spot for close to 30 minutes as drivers of other vehicles within the vicinity and passers-by immediately scampered for safety thinking that the content spilled on both sides of the road would ignite an uncontrollable inferno,” he added.
Another eyewitness claimed that the driver was on high speed before the accident occurred.
The accident however caused massive gridlock along the Lagos Airport road as vehicles were diverted from the airport road to the Beesam Area of the airport in order for air passengers and other workers within the airport environment to access the international airport and the Hajj and cargo terminal.
Speaking to journalists at the accident spot, the leader of the Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Fatai Rafiu, said that the command received a distress call on the accident at exactly 10:14am while its team from the Mobalaji Bank Anthony Way responded almost immediately.
He explained that the quick intervention of the team prevented what could have led to a huge loss of lives and properties within the airport vicinity.
On the probable cause of the accident, he said the accident might have occurred due to over-speeding on the part of the driver.
Source : SunOnline