Fire fighters still battling Oando tank fire, several hours after

Several hours after a fire engulfed an Oando fuel tank in the Ijora area of Lagos, firefighters are yet to put the fire under control.

The fire which started around 12:20 p.m. on Thursday is still burning as at 7 a.m. on Friday morning with almost the intensity it started with.

According to the Lagos state Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the combined response team of public and private stakeholders has managed to localise the fire and prevent it from spreading to any secondary site or adjoining locations.

The tank which has a capacity of 7.5 million litres is burning off in a controlled manner following activation of the Lagos State Emergency Response Plans, the agency said.

Ibrahim Farinloye, the Acting Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), earlier said staff at the facility were safely evacuated from the premises and there is no casually from the incident.

The cause of the fire is yet unknown.

Speaking on the fire outbreak, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Director-General of LASEMA, said “all appropriate measures to combat the flames and prevent secondary incidents have been taken.”

He said though cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, all relevant stakeholders were at the scene.

The fire responders include those from the Federal Fire Service, LASG Fire Service, Nigerian Navy Fire Fighters, UBA Fire Service, Forte Oil Fire Service and Officers of the Nigerian Police Force.

Mr Oke-Osayintolu urged Lagosians to remain calm, as the relevant agencies are working to ensure the fire does not spread to other oil tanks.