MEC&F Expert Engineers : 07/02/18

Monday, July 2, 2018

Nigeria is one of the most dangerous countries for driving. At least nine people were killed when a fuel tanker exploded on a highway in Lagos, Nigeria, burning 54 vehicles





Oil tanker explodes during rush hour on Nigerian highway, burning 54 cars

by Siobhán O'Grady


 June 29, 2018



At least nine people were killed when a fuel tanker exploded on a highway in Lagos, Nigeria, on June 28. (Rapid Response Squad)

The footage looks like a scene from a horror movie: A massive cloud of smoke envelops a Nigerian roadway as bright red and orange flames engulf a line of passenger cars. Emergency workers trudge down an oil-slicked road, carrying body bags.

On Thursday evening, an oil tanker exploded in Lagos, Nigeria, setting more than 50 cars on fire during rush hour in the megacity. At least nine people died.

“Petrol started leaking. A bus ran into it. The fire hadn't started, then a car ran into the bus, which caused the fuel to ignite,” a witness, Oludare Adodo, told CNN. “Suddenly, I heard a loud 'blam!' ”

“Some folks were abandoning their cars and running, and those closest to the tanker were simply merged into a wall of red,” he added.


Around 180 million people live in Nigeria, making it Africa's most populous nation. And the country has a massive oil industry but imports much of its fuel because of a lack of functioning refineries. Nigeria's already crowded roadways, many of which are poorly paved, are made even more dangerous by oil tankers. Thursday's explosion occurred on the Lagos-Ibadan highway, one of the busiest entry and exit points for the commercial capital that is home to more than 22 million people.

A car is lifted onto a truck after a fire accident involving an oil tanker along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in the Ojodu axis of Lagos, Nigeria, on Friday. (Akintunde Akinleye/Reuters)

Such explosions are not uncommon in Nigeria.

In 2012, nearly 100 people were killed in Port Harcourt, Nigeria's oil hub, after an oil tanker tipped over the side of the road. Some people approached the tanker in an effort to collect the fuel for themselves, then found themselves trapped in a massive fire when it exploded. According to Nigerian news outlet the Premium Times, Lagos State recorded 115 petroleum tanker accidents in 2016 alone.

The World Health Organization has labeled Nigeria one of the most dangerous countries for driving.

Lake Country Power employee Drew Schwarz, 33, was electrocuted to death while working to restore an outage near Orr, Minnesota

Lake Country Power employee Drew Schwarz, 33, was electrocuted to death while working to restore an outage near Orr, Minnesota








Authorities ID utility worker who died near Orr, Minnesota

By Tom Olsen on Jul 1, 2018

Authorities have identified a Lake Country Power employee who died Friday while working to restore an outage near Orr.


The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office reported that Drew Schwarz, 33, of Cook, was pronounced dead at the scene southwest of Orr. The incident was reported as a possible electrocution just before 6 p.m.

The sheriff’s office is continuing to investigate, and an autopsy is pending at the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office.

Lake Country spokeswoman Tami Zaun said the utility responded to more than 7,500 outages after severe thunderstorms blew through the region early Friday morning. She said the lineworker collapsed at the scene but it was not immediately clear whether it was due to electrocution or another cause.

"Despite the loss of a fellow employee, friend, and co-op family member, crews will continue working today and tomorrow until power is restored for members," Zaun said.


3:30 p.m. Update for Saturday, June 30: Lake Country Power line crews continue making progress on outage restoration efforts near Ely, Cook and Orr while mourning the loss of a friend and fellow employee. An LCP lineworker collapsed and died Friday evening while crews were restoring electrical service following a severe summer storm.

“We’re piecing together the information to determine what happened,” said Greg Randa, LCP general manager. “Our entire co-op family mourns. Our hearts, our thoughts, and our prayers are with the family of a fallen friend, co-op family member and colleague.”

“We don’t have a clear picture of what happened yet,” he said. “We expect the investigation will help answer questions and help determine the cause. We need to complete all fact-finding, including the autopsy.”

LCP crews have been working to restore outages since early Friday morning when a severe storm knocked down trees, power lines and broke dozens of poles. Another severe storm blew in early Saturday morning and knocked power out for another 1,500 members in the region. More than 4,000 LCP members are without electric service as crews continue to work.

Members may visit the Outage Center online at www.lakecountrypower.coop or http://mi.lcp.coop:82/ for a real-time outage status.

To report an outage, please call 800-421-9959, press 1. Or use SmartHub, which can be found at www.lakecountrypower.com.


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Northern Minnesota Electric Company Worker Dies While Restoring Power



June 30, 2018 12:26 PM

An employee of a northern Minnesota electric company died Friday while working to restore power to areas affected by severe thunderstorms.

Lake Country Power said the lineworker collapsed around 6 p.m. and an investigation is underway.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office identified the deceased worker as a 33-year-old man from Cook. While the cause of death is uncertain, the sheriff's office said he was reportedly electrocuted.  


"Despite the loss of a fellow employee, friend, and co-op family member, crews will continue working today and tomorrow until power is restored for members," the company wrote in a Facebook post.

Line crews responded to more than 7,500 outages near Ely, Orr, Cook, Lake Vermilion, Babbitt and other parts of northern Minnesota Friday, according to Lake Country Power.

The 33-year-old worker working on an outage in Orr, according to the sheriff's office. 
The company provides electric services to 43,000 people in rural northern Minnesota, according to their Facebook page. 


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8:30 p.m. Sunday Update: Lake Country Power line crews made progress Sunday as they worked to restore service for co-op members affected by a couple severe summer storms since Friday morning. There are currently 525 members without power.

Since Friday morning, crews have restored service for nearly 7,000 members.

Line crews remain working throughout the northern locations of the co-op’s service area to restore service. The Eagles Nest area near Ely took a large amount of damages from the storm. Other hard hit remote areas include Babbitt, Ely, Lake Vermilion, Orr and additional areas south of Eveleth.


Crews will work until 9:00 p.m. tonight, and then will be called in for mandatory rest and safety. They’ll resume work early Monday morning. Lake Country Power anticipates any remaining outages after 9:00 p.m. Sunday night will be restored on Monday, which includes the remotest areas and individual outages.

All available Lake Country Power crews, including those from the Grand Rapids and Kettle River Service Centers, worked Sunday to restore power, including assistance from Lake States Construction and Highline Construction.

Crews continue working as they mourn an LCP lineworker who collapsed and died Friday evening while restoring electrical service. The cause of death is not clear and an investigation is underway. An autopsy will be performed to help determine the cause.

Members may call the cooperative at 1-800-421-9959 for more information, or visit the Outage Center online at www.lakecountrypower.coop or http://mi.lcp.coop:82 for a real-time outage status.