The Lagos State Government has commiserated with families of victims of the fatal tanker explosion which occurred on Thursday evening on Otedola Bridge, inward Ojodu Berger area of the State.
The incident, which occurred at about 5.30 P.M. left scores of vehicles burnt while some lives were lost.
The Government, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, described the incident as a sad development, saying that the incident was most unfortunate and regrettable.
“On behalf of the Lagos State Government, we extend our deepest commiseration to the families of persons who lost their lives as well as properties to the incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with them in this time of pain and grief.
“As a government, we would not relent in putting measures in place to ensure safety of lives and property of all residents,” Bamigbetan said.
The Commissioner said that Governor Ambode has directed all relevant agencies to move into the area to normalise the apprehension that had taken over the area and to also ensure that those in need are adequately taken care of.
The governor assured that clearing of the highway of damaged vehicles to establish normal traffic flow would continue throughout the night until the objective is achieved.
He called for the co-operation of all citizens with the officials of the agencies to restore the situation to normalcy.
He also urged motorists to continue to adhere to the safety standard and the State Traffic Laws so as to prevent a re-occurrence of such incidents.
Timeline:
Nine persons died in the petrol tanker fire around Otedola Bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Thursday after it caught fire and spread the inferno to the vehicles behind, the Federal Road Safety Corps said.
Images of the accident which happened at the notorious Otedola Estate junction of the highway, were gory.
The FRSC also said in its update that the victims were burnt beyond recognition. There were four other serious injuries.
According to the FRSC, 54 vehicles were burnt. There were 45 cars caught in the inferno, along with five buses, two trucks, inec tricycle and the tanker itself .
The accident, outward Lagos, happened around 5.30pm yesterday.
According to Bisi Kazeem, spokesman of the FRSC, the cause of accident was break failure suffered by the petrol laden tanker.
A Joint rescue operation involving FRSC, LASEMA, NPF, RRS, NSCDC, Lagos State Fire service, LASTMA was mounted promptly within 10 minutes of the accident.