CITIZENS COMPASS–Many lives were lost while buildings and other properties were razed over the weekend when different explosion incidents rocked Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital and the Eleme section of the East-West Road in Rivers State.

While that of Abeokuta occurred at about 5.30p.m on Saturday, that of Rivers occurred on Friday night.

The Abeokuta explosion was attributed to a tanker laden with gas which suffered brake failure while that of Rivers was attributed to a petroleum-laden tanker. 

It was gathered that the Abeokuta incident, occurred at Ita-Oshin end of the Lagos- Abeokuta Expressway

In Abeokuta, eyewitnesses’ accounts said the truck driver rammed into the road median in order to reduce the impact of the accident.

However,  fire lighters at the State  and federal levels in conjunction with other emergency responders were able to manage the situation. 

The spokesman, Federal Fire Service, Oluwasegun Ayansiji, said personnel of the agencies were on rescue mission.

Similarly.the explosion in Rivers State occurred when the petrol-laden tanker collided with another heavy-duty vehicle, spilling its contents and bursting into flames.

According to eyewitnesses, the fire spread rapidly and traveled to a long stretch of vehicles plying the Akpajo-Onne Road, which was already gridlocked due to ongoing construction.

The resulting inferno engulfed numerous cars, leaving many charred and destroyed.

The incident started around 9:15pm adjacent to the Indorama Petrochemical Company located along the Akpojo-Onne axis of the East-West Road leading to some critical national assets.

In a live broadcast, a radio station, Super FM, 93.3 through one of its journalists, Segun Owolabi, said four bodies were burnt.

 Spokesperson Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said though she was yet to get a situation report on the incident, she would find out and revert.