By Peter Omopo
A petrol-laden tanker overturned and burst into flames on Sunday at Iyana-Isolo, along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway in Lagos, sparking panic and destroying at least four nearby trucks.
Eyewitnesses said the tanker, which was conveying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), lost control due to overspeeding while navigating the inward Oshodi corridor. It overturned and immediately caught fire, sending plumes of smoke into the sky.
Emergency responders, including officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, police officers from Aswani, Ilasa, and Mushin Divisions, as well as the Neighbourhood Safety Corps, quickly mobilised to the scene. Their swift intervention contained the fire and prevented a wider disaster.
“The burning tanker on the main carriageway of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Iyana-Isolo, has been successfully contained by the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service,” the agency confirmed in a statement.
Spokesperson of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, said preliminary investigations revealed that the incident was caused by reckless overspeeding, which led to the driver’s loss of control.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, confirmed that no lives were lost, attributing the outcome to the prompt and coordinated response of emergency agencies. He disclosed that additional personnel were deployed from adjoining zones to secure the area, divert traffic, and prevent further escalation.
Bakare-Oki cautioned articulated vehicle and tanker drivers against violating speed limits, stressing that strict adherence to traffic regulations is vital to protecting lives and property. He also urged motorists and residents to use LASTMA’s toll-free hotline, 080000527862, to report traffic emergencies.
Authorities have since restored normalcy in the area, though traffic flow remained heavy for hours after the incident.
