Ogun Tanker Fire Claims Life, Nursing Mother Hospitalized
A tragic tanker fire incident that occurred last Wednesday along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has claimed the life of a mother of four, Mercy Emmanuel, while a nursing mother is battling severe injuries in the hospital after attempting to save her children from the blaze.
The fire erupted when a petrol-laden tanker overturned at midnight near a commercial bank in the Ibafo area of the expressway. Eyewitnesses reported that the tanker driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel, leading to the vehicle’s crash and subsequent explosion.
When PUNCH Metro visited the scene, it was discovered that petrol from the overturned tanker had flowed through a drainage system into a nearby community about a kilometer away, igniting fires that damaged homes. Several buildings had shattered windows, damaged roofs, and cracked walls from the explosion.
Speaking with punch correspondent, Mercy Emmanuel’s husband, Ismail Emmanuel, shared the heartbreaking details of her final moments. He explained that as the fire spread, smoke obscured her vision, and while attempting to escape, she fell into a fire-engulfed drainage. Despite their efforts to save her, they were unable to raise the N6 million required for her treatment at the Igbobi hospital in Lagos. She later passed away at Gbagada General Hospital.
“I was at work when my son called about the fire,” Emmanuel recalled. “He couldn’t find my wife when he reached our home. After some time, he found her badly injured, and we rushed her to different hospitals, from Sagamu to Abeokuta and finally Igbobi. But I couldn’t afford the N6 million deposit, and she died shortly after we transferred her to Gbagada General Hospital.”
The grieving husband now seeks assistance from the government, as his wife’s body remains at a private morgue in Ibafo.
Another resident, Bidemi, recounted that a nursing mother, identified as Iya Ada, was severely burned while attempting to rescue her children. The fire destroyed her household items, and she is currently receiving treatment in the hospital after falling and suffering burns to her side.
Several victims of the fire have already pleaded with Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun for assistance, having lost vehicles worth millions, which were their primary source of income.
Governor Abiodun has since extended his condolences to the victims and urged tanker drivers to exercise greater caution on the highway to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.
credit : punch online
