FRSC cautions against scooping petrol from fallen tankers

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has cautioned against scooping petrol from fallen tankers, urging the public to allow only trained personnel to handle accident situations.

The corps also advised drivers to maintain safety regulations so as to curb road crashes.

The FRSC Sector Commander in Rivers, Inyang Umoh, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.

NAN also reports that Umoh spoke against the backdrop of the recent petrol tanker accident in Port Harcourt.

He said that no life or property was lost to the incident as prompt intervention by the FRSC, Fire Service and other security agencies successfully put the situation under control.

”If not for prompt intervention by our officers, in synergy with sister agencies, the situation would have been more disastrous and a replica of the gory incident that happened recently in Jigawa.

”In the case of Port Harcourt, the tanker fell in a very high density area, with so many human and vehicular activities.

”I commend the level of cooperation amongst sister agencies in this life-saving task as well as our officers who specifically towed the affected petrol tanker away from the accident scene to a safe tank farm,” he said.

The sector commander advised citizens against using hunger as an excuse to engage in crime and other life-threatening ventures like scooping petrol from trucks involved in accidents.

He also expressed worries over non-adherence by some drivers to speed-limit advisories by the media.

Umoh said that the corps, in collaboration with the media, had since engaged in various public sensitisation on safety tips.

He attributed the Port Harcourt incident to speeding, stressing: ”the driver had refused to reduce his speed even when he approached a round-about; this eventually made him loose control, leading the tanker to overturn.

”We are in a critical moment; it has nothing to do with some dangerous speculations associated with the ember months; it is our attitude; every road user should maintain accurate speed limit.

”We should endeavour to uphold safety regulations to enable us to happily enter into the new year,” the sector commander said.