Two people were on Thursday confirmed dead after a fully loaded 33,000-litre petrol tanker exploded along the Badagry Expressway in Lagos in the early hours of Christmas Day.
The explosion, which CompassNG gathered, occurred at about 4 a.m. on Thursday near the Oto-Ijanikin axis, close to the Lagos State University of Education.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority confirmed the occurrence, stating that the accident involved a fully loaded tanker, which reportedly lost control while attempting to overtake another vehicle.
LASTMA added that the tanker crashed and immediately went up in flames.
LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, who disclosed this in a statement posted on the agency’s X page, said, “Preliminary findings from security investigations indicate that the unfortunate incident was precipitated by excessive speed, as the tanker driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle while attempting to overtake another road user.
“The vehicle subsequently crashed and erupted into a raging inferno, trapping and claiming the lives of the driver and an adult female occupant.”
Taofiq added that LASTMA personnel, who were monitoring traffic in the area, responded promptly and professionally, securing and cordoning off the affected stretch of the road to prevent secondary accidents.
The agency also immediately alerted the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Ojo Unit, the Federal Road Safety Corps, and the Ijanikin Police Division for emergency response and security reinforcement.
He added, “In a critical intervention, LASTMA officers prevented members of the public from attempting to scoop spilt diesel from the scene, a dangerous act that could have triggered further explosions and fatalities.”
Following the containment of the fire, the severely burnt tanker was evacuated to prevent further traffic hazards, while the remains of the deceased were removed by the FRSC.
In a reaction to the Christmas Day tragedy, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the incident as “deeply painful and entirely avoidable,” as he extended condolences to the families of the victims.
He appealed to tanker and articulated vehicle drivers to exercise caution, observe speed limits, and comply strictly with traffic regulations, even as he also warned warning members of the public against the hazardous practice of collecting spilt petroleum products at accident scenes.
He said, “The Authority remains steadfast in its commitment to public safety and the sanctity of human life.”
The inferno was said to have destroyed several houses and burnt multiple vehicles, throwing residents of the area into panic. Firefighters from the Ojo and Badagry Fire Stations teamed up to battle the raging inferno.
Also reacting, the Controller-General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, attributed the incident to negligence.
She noted that that emergency responders however had successfully contained the fire.
Adeseye said, “A male adult was recovered dead, while a female adult was rescued with severe burns at the scene of the fire.”
The tanker explosion was coming less than 24 hours after a fire outbreak gutted one of the floors of a popular plaza known as Great Nigeria Insurance House, located at Balogun Market, on Christmas Eve.
