Tanker Fire Cuts Off Lagos Airport, Passengers Miss Evening Flights

A fire incident involving a diesel-laden truck caused traffic obstruction along the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road, forcing air passengers to miss their flights.

The truck conveying diesel from Apapa Depot suddenly went up in flames at the middle of the road around 5pm, causing panic to road users and nearby businesses.

No life was lost in the tanker fire incident as men of the Lagos State Fire Service were quickly deployed to the scene to quench the raging flame.

When Prime Business Africa got to the scene, the fire was being put off by Fire Service officers,with two of their trucks parked.

One of the fire service officers who spoke to Prime Business Africa under anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the media, said they were called immediately the fire started and they quickly responded and was able to stop it. The officer said they were yet to ascertain what caused the fire.

Also, officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), Federal Road Safety Corp and Police Traffic Warders were seen trying to manage the traffic.

Stuck in traffic, many were angry lamenting that they had missed their evening flights because they were unable to move beyond the scene of the fire incident.

“We thank God that no life was lost, but honestly a good number of people going to airport this evening to board flights have missed out,” a commuter told PBA. Some passengers were seen disembarking and making efforts to walk past the burnt truck probably complete the airport journey by foot.

PBA observed, however, that the tanker fire traffic jam started easing around 7 p.m. when the traffic officers started allowing vehicles to pass through the lane, while making efforts to safely evacuate the burnt truck and the remaining diesel content.

Victor Ezeja

Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.