LAGOS, Nigeria — A petrol tanker accident on Tuesday night at Berger Suya Junction in Apapa, Lagos, triggered a devastating fire that killed at least 15 people and destroyed hundreds of shops, vehicles and part of a commercial bank, officials and eyewitnesses said.
The inferno, which began around 10:35 p.m. and raged for nearly five hours, erupted when a tanker carrying 33,000 litres of petrol overturned while negotiating a sharp bend.
The resulting explosion spread rapidly through the busy commercial hub, consuming nearby suya stalls, vehicles and buildings.
Conflicting Casualty Figures
Emergency agencies gave differing accounts of the death toll.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Federal Fire Service said 15 bodies were recovered, while the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the state fire service reported five confirmed fatalities.
Eyewitnesses, however, said the figure was higher. “It will be more than that (15 people),” one resident said, noting that passengers in two buses, roadside vendors and bystanders were burnt beyond recognition.
The driver of the tanker, his assistant, and two suya vendors were among those confirmed dead. A bank guard was also killed after being trapped inside the damaged building.
Property Losses
More than 200 lock-up shops, eight vehicles, motorcycles, and goods estimated at hundreds of millions of naira were destroyed. Traders recounted heavy losses.
“We are like orphans now having lost everything we laboured for,” said Gabriel Ojum, an executive of the Berger Suya Traders Association, who estimated his losses at over N5 million. Another trader said he lost 30 articulated vehicle engines, each valued at about N850,000.
One father of six, visibly shaken, said his engines worth N25 million and a trailer valued at N15 million were reduced to ashes. Another businessman, Edwin Ibe, described the incident as a “bad New Year gift” after losing N45 million worth of goods.
Firefighting Efforts
Lagos State Fire Service Director, Razaq Fadipe, said 21 officials responded with three fire trucks, each carrying 10,000 litres of water, which had to be replenished three times.
“We also used 600 litres of synthetic chemical foam to stop the raging fire, if not, the whole building would have been razed,” he said.
The fire was finally extinguished around 3 a.m. Wednesday.
How the Fire Spread
Residents explained that petrol spilled into roadside gutters after the tanker fell, quickly spreading flames to adjoining streets, shops and parked vehicles.
Promise Lezieanya, a trader, said the driver had shouted that his brakes had failed moments before the crash. “A commercial bus by the side which was fully loaded with passengers to Wilmer got burnt. No one survived in the bus,” he said.
Lezieanya, who claimed to have counted more than 28 victims, said he personally lost 38 engines, each valued at N1.1 million, and a new truck worth N7 million.
Aftermath
By morning, rescue workers were collecting charred remains into cellophane bags while traders and residents picked through the rubble of destroyed shops. Goods and property worth more than N500 million were believed to have been lost in the disaster.
“This is the worst thing that has happened to us here,” one trader said, his voice breaking.
