Cases of gas explosions expose weak regulations

AFTER a brief relief, gas explosion incidents are once again causing major damage to lives and property across the country. Two new separate incidents in Ogun and Lagos states are bringing back painful memories of the devastating impact of gas explosions in Nigerian communities. As the Bola Tinubu administration and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited ramp up gas production for industrial and domestic use, there is a need for relevant agencies to regulate practices in the sector to prevent more disasters.

In the first incident, a gas-powered truck went up in flames in Ogun’s capital, Abeokuta, on April 27. The resulting fire claimed the driver’s life. The inferno engulfed six vehicles and two shops. The vehicle involved was a compressed natural gas truck. The government, which has been trying to promote the use of CNG vehicles, must take swift action to tighten loose ends in the sector and not discourage potential users due to the steep prices of petroleum products.

Ajegunle, Lagos, was surrounded by grief on Tuesday as gas explosions occurred there. Initially, a pregnant woman and nine others were injured. The Lagos State Police Command said the number of injured rose to 22 three days later. The command said the outbreak was caused by a leaking gas cylinder that snapped a power line and caused a fire. The Lagos State Fire Service said the fire razed four commercial tricycles, six shops, part of a bungalow and part of a petrol station. This is a huge loss.

It is instructive that this incident occurred in a residential area. In retrospect, it turns out that placing gas stations in residential areas is a dangerous undertaking. A major incident in 2020 at a petrol station in Baruwa Estate, Ipaja, left seven people dead and many houses and shops destroyed. In February, one person was killed and property destroyed following a gas fire in Iba, Lagos. The same month, a fire occurred at a cooking gas shop in Iju, Lagos.

Three of the five victims of another gas explosion at Ojokoro LCDA died in hospital three months ago. In March 2020, 17 people initially died when a vehicle hit gas cylinders near Abule-Ado. There were many injured victims. The explosion destroyed more than 100 homes, trucks, cars and motorcycles, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.

On another related front, five deaths were confirmed and over 100 vehicles destroyed in a tanker explosion in Eleme, Rivers State on April 26. The treacherous condition of the road is said to have contributed to the tragedy. It is the job of the federal authorities to repair the bad road.

Another petrol tanker claimed eight lives in Okpe, Delta State on Friday. Initial reports indicated that the driver tried to overtake another tanker and lost control, leading to the tragedy. This is pure negligence.

Many shabby trucks drive on the road against standard rules. This exposes the weakness in regulation, especially by the Federal Road Safety Corps, police and other safety agencies. The toll is heavy. The Federal Fire Service said there were 649 incidents in the fourth quarter of 2022, with a total loss of N23 billion and 28 fatalities. In total, Nigeria lost N1 trillion to 2,056 fire incidents across the country in 2022, the Federal Government said.

To prevent these future losses, the FRSC and police must work with the FFS and state governments to enforce safety regulations. The FRSC and oil regulators must prevent rickety and defective tankers from plying on the roads. The agency must enforce speed limits by penalizing violators.

State governments should stop approving gas and petrol stations in residential areas. The stations currently located in residential areas should be checked and moved to safer environments.