What to do when a tanker truck explodes

“Evacuation must be carried out immediately. What a person is doing should be stopped and evacuated away from that distance,” Asiimwe said.

Ms Asiimwe said people should also inform emergency services about the incident. Emergency services often ensure that utilities such as electricity and gas in the area are turned off. Experts say that the vehicle’s engine should be turned off because it reduces the risk of fire ignition.

“All sources of ignition, such as stoves and power, must be turned off,” she said.

Authorities must also ensure that there is a warning tap that prevents anyone from approaching the site. It is from there that the team must focus on containing the spill using absorbent materials. The Fire Prevention and Rescue Services Directorate’s checklist of safety measures indicates that the safety of people around should be the most important factor.

The police checklist for such emergencies calls for stopping vehicular and pedestrian traffic near the incident until the spill is contained.

For those trapped near the spill, Ms Asiimwe advised that they should use objects such as blankets to cover themselves and avoid injury if the fire breaks out. Unfortunately, most safety measures were ignored by rescuers in Kigogwa.

Some resorted to the truck’s fuel siphon, while others continued to use their cell phones, which are a source of ignition at the scene.