Photo: Unrelated scene of a tanker explosion
By Deborah Nnamdi
A fatal tanker explosion in the early hours of Thursday, December 25, claimed the lives of two people along the Badagry Expressway in Lagos.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said the incident involved a Mack truck conveying diesel and occurred at the Oto-Ijanikin axis, near the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), inward Agbara.
Preliminary security investigations revealed that the crash was caused by excessive speed, as the tanker driver reportedly lost control while attempting to overtake another vehicle. The tanker subsequently crashed and burst into flames, trapping and killing the driver and an adult female occupant.
LASTMA officials who were on traffic monitoring duty in the area immediately secured and cordoned off the affected section of the expressway to prevent secondary accidents. They also alerted the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (Ojo Unit), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Ijanikin Police Division for emergency response and security support.
The agency said its operatives also stopped members of the public who had gathered at the scene from scooping the spilled diesel, a move that helped avert a possible escalation of the tragedy before the arrival of other emergency agencies.
After the fire was successfully contained, the severely burnt tanker was evacuated from the expressway by LASTMA personnel to ensure free traffic flow and prevent further accidents, while FRSC officials removed the remains of the victims.
Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed deep sorrow and extended condolences to the families of the deceased, describing the incident as painful and entirely avoidable, especially during the festive season.
Bakare-Oki reiterated the agency’s commitment to road safety and urged tanker and articulated vehicle drivers to exercise caution, adhere to speed limits, and strictly obey traffic regulations, noting that speeding and reckless driving remain major causes of fatal crashes in Lagos.
He also warned members of the public against the dangerous practice of scooping petroleum and diesel products from accident scenes, stressing that such actions pose serious risks to lives and public safety.
