Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for fuel tankers to burst into flames on the streets of Lagos.
Last week several people lost their lives as a result of petrol tanker accidents. On June 2, an explosion that occurred at Iyana Ipaja destroyed houses worth millions of naira. Another tanker crash happened on June 7, after a petrol laden truck overturned in front of Oribawa bus stop on Lekki-Epe expressway and spilled its contents.
The fire service in Lagos is not very big: there are 13 fire stations in a city of about 20 million people. Its equipment is also not designed to cope with Lagos’ many high-rise buildings. However, it is worth mentioning that it is the best-equipped service in Nigeria.
Brave firemen not only risk losing their lives in fire, but sometimes they are even attacked by angry people who accuse them of arriving late.
For the last decade BBC photographer has been capturing the moment when firemen were combating the fire.
See some pictures below:
Following the rise in petrol tanker disasters, Akinwunmi Ambode, the governor of Lagos state, had to summon an emergency meeting with tanker drivers. The Nigerian police, the Nigerian security and civil defence corps also attended the meeting.
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