LASEMA tackles fire and recovers tankers in Lagos

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency has responded to a fire and recovered two broken-down tankers on the Mushin-Ilasa-Oshodi road.

Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, shared this in a statement on Sunday. He mentioned that the agency took action in three emergency cases along the road.

Oke-Osanyintolu said the first incident happened at No. 5 Balogun Street, Ilasa. The Eagle Response Team from Cappa Base responded to a fire alert that came in around 1:05pm.

When they arrived, they found a bungalow with some rooms already on fire. Initial checks showed that a power surge caused the fire.

He explained that the LASEMA Response Unit Fire Unit and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service worked with the Eagle Team to put out the fire, which affected three rooms. "The inferno which affected three rooms was successfully put out, dampening down operations concluded and its spread to nearby buildings effectively prevented. Fortunately, no loss of life or injury was recorded in the incident," he said.

The same team went to Mushin Bus Stop, heading towards Oshodi, at around 1:49pm after a report about a broken-down tanker. Oke-Osanyintolu said this tanker was carrying black oil and had a mechanical problem that blocked traffic.

The Eagle Team quickly redirected traffic while waiting for LASEMA’s heavy-duty recovery vehicle, Super Metro, to arrive. "Through professional recovery operations, the broken-down tanker was successfully recovered off the road and safely parked at a layby, thereby restoring free vehicular movement along the corridor," he added.

Later, another empty tanker with an unknown registration number broke down at Ojuwoye Bus Stop, also heading towards Oshodi, at around 4:41pm. Oke-Osanyintolu said LASEMA, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, and the Nigeria Police Force worked together to manage traffic at the scene while starting recovery operations.

He said Super Metro was sent to recover the tanker and park it safely, which helped to restore traffic flow along the route. He also confirmed that no casualties or loss of life happened in any of the three incidents.

Oke-Osanyintolu encouraged residents to take safety measures, especially when using electrical appliances, to avoid fires from power surges. He also suggested that drivers should regularly maintain their vehicles to prevent breakdowns on the road.

He urged people to report emergencies using the toll-free numbers 767 and 112.