By Demilade Adeniyi
The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has assured of the safety of the Blue line infrastructure after a fire incident involving an oil tanker transloading diesel into a barge on the lagoon on the outer Marina, under one of the piers for the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line at Marina.
The fire was said to have been ignited by a petrol-powered generator deployed to pump diesel into the barge from a tanker parked by pier 27.
LAMATA’s Consultant Corporate Communication, Kolawole Ojelabi, said the fire was put off by a combined team of firemen from the Lagos State Fire Service, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Fire Service, and the Federal Fire Service. The Police were also present to incident the fire outbreak.
Ojelabi said the Police are currently working to ascertain the ownership of the fuel tanker and the barge.
Preliminary test carried out by the contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), showed that the pier was not affected by the fire.
“The Lagos State Government and Lagos Metropolitan Authority (LAMATA) wish to assure Lagosians that the Blue Line infrastructure is safe and LAMATA will continue with the testing phase of the operation of the trains and civil infrastructure, with a view to educating members of the public on how to interact with the rail system,” Ojelabi added.