Tanker Explosion: Abiodun Bans Trucks From Flyovers

• Stiffer punishment would be meted out to tanker drivers who flout the order, Gov said

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has banned tankers and other articulated vehicles from plying flyover bridges in the state.

The governor said this during a visit to the scene of a tanker explosion, which claimed three lives with six persons sustaining varying degrees of burns, in Abeokuta on Tuesday.

He described the incident as sad and unfortunate.

The governor also vowed that stiffer punishment would be meted out to tanker driver, who flout the order.

He added that the state would soon roll out measures to check the road worthiness of vehicles, especially tankers and articulated vehicles plying roads in the state.

According to him, the ban is meant to safeguard lives and property of citizens in view of explosions in different part of the state.

Abiodun expressed concern that the bridges constructed to solve problems were now creating new problems.

The governor confirmed that three persons died in Tuesday’s explosion, while six others sustained varying degrees of injury.

He said the badly burnt victims had been taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, and the State Hospital, Ijaye, both in Abeokuta.

Read Also: Death Toll In Fuel Tanker Explosion In Abeokuta Rises To 3

Abiodun stated, “The record that we have as of now is that we have three casualties; we have another six persons, who sustained varying degrees of burns. Three of them are at the Federal Medical Centre and the other three are at the State Hospital, Ijaye, receiving urgent medical attention.

“We have gone a step further by inviting burns specialist from Lagos to come and attend to those who have about 80 to 90 per cent burns, who require special attention, and have since arrived in Abeokuta. They will make explanation if there will be a need to transfer them to the burns centre in Lagos.”

A survivor, Taiwo Ososanya, who escaped from one the vehicles trapped by the fire, said the tanker driver gave a sign of brake failure, while descending the bridge.