In the aftermath of a tanker inferno on August 11 that engulfed bystanders and looters in the Tanzanian town of Morogoro, burning more than 60 people to death and severely injuring at least 70 more, questions have once again been raised about transport safety and security on SADC roads. Leading the scrutiny is Mike Fitzmaurice, CEO of the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta). He said that structural concerns, the absence of signage warning of hazardous cargo, and risks related to the responsiveness of truck drivers and safety personnel were some of the reasons why he believed “the transportation of dangerous goods in Africa is questionable”. He added that it was particularly worrying in countries like Tanzania and many others in Southern and East Africa where the condition of tankers was poor, they were not manufactured according to global standards for these types of vehicles, and the products they carried were highly flammable. As was evident in the Morogoro case, where fuel spilled out of the truck which overturned when it swerved to avoid a scooter, Fitzmaurice said structural issues often led to “explosions when it comes to vehicle crashes”. To prove his point he sent FTW a photograph of a tanker travelling on a Tanzanian road with red circles clearly marking areas of concern (see page 12). It showed, Fitzmaurice said, “a typical example of a tanker in very poor condition supposedly carrying petrol and which has no Hazchem (hazardous chemicals) signage. “Often the welds separating compartments are not properly treated. Rust and cracks are seen at the rear of this tanker where there is a clear indication of rust developing along the weld of the rear plate at the back of the tank. “On impact the sheer force of the movement of liquid in a tank can cause weak spots around the welding to rupture and leak product. This may well have been the case in the accident that took place in Morogoro”. Fitzmaurice also took issue with the safety and security training of truck drivers and public order officials. Once more referring to the Morogoro incident, he said “the horrific disaster that followed could have been avoided if the first responders (if there were any in this case) had dispersed the crowd and cordoned off and secured the area, allowing a safe distance in which emergency personnel could operate and contain the spillage, thus possibly preventing the disaster. Although there are many reports about what exactly happened in Tanzania, much of it scant on detail, what can be deduced is that immediately after the tanker landed on its side, it started spilling fuel, prompting looters to rush to the scene with buckets and Jerry cans. Unfortunately most of the fuel appeared to have spilled in a loop, and when it was ignited, presumably by a discarded cigarette according to several eye witness reports, a lot of the looters were trapped when the running fire reached the truck, causing it to erupt. An anonymous source, who specialises in the transportation of bulk liquid into the Copperbelt area of Zambia and the DRC, has since waded into the conversation saying “transport safety in our region is notoriously poor. “It’s seen as an easy business to run profits when it is in fact very difficult and under constant pressure from falling rates and increasing costs. When transporters cut costs, safety is usually the first casualty.” Because most countries in the SADC region had populations either living on or below the breadline, fuel siphoning from overturned or exposed tankers was often seen as an easy means to make money, the source said. He added that people often arrived at the scenes of truck accidents “to see what they can pilfer or to force the manholes of tankers open”. He stressed that in some cases roads were so treacherous that when route planning was done and sources were asked what section of the road posed the greatest danger, the reply was – “just draw a red line from point to point because the entire road is a threat”.
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On impact the sheer force of the movement of liquid in a tank can cause weak spots around the welding to rupture and leak product. – Mike Fitzmaurice
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