The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dauda Ali Biu, has called on fleet operators, especially owners of tankers conveying inflammable products to comply with minimum safety standards by installing safety valves (anti spill) in their vehicles.
This, the Corps Marshal said, is to prevent mishaps resulting from lack of safety valves in tankers.
The caution came in a statement by the Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, an Assistant Corps Marshal, following a fatal crash that occured at Ologbo Bridge, on Benin/Sapele expressway, Delta State, at about 1am on October 1, 2023.
According to ACM Kazeem, the dual crash involved 15 different categories of vehicles.
The affected vehicles were a Toyota Hiace Bus, two Ford buses, a Volkswagen Passat car, two J5 Peugeot buses, a Daylong motorcycle and eight tankers.
“From the report got from the FRSC rescue team, A total of 15 people, all male adults, were involved. Out of this number, seven people got injured, while eight victims were burnt beyond recognition.
“The truck ladened with Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS), coming from Warri, Delta State fell on the highway and spilled the PMS product on the road, thereby leading to an explosion that gutted the aforementioned number of vehicles and the 15 male victims.
“Arising from this, the Corps Marshal, while calling on owners and operators of tankers to comply with all safety standards set by the government on operation of that category of vehicle on Nigerian roads, has directed Commanding Officers to ensure that tankers that do not meet safety standards are not allowed to ply the highways,” the FRSC spokesman said.
