Diesel Tanker Explosion Rocks Lagos, Three Rescued
A diesel tanker explosion occurred on Sunday along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway in the Iyana Isolo area of Lagos State, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
The incident, which happened around 1:05 pm, involved a string of crashes between the diesel-laden tanker, a mini commercial bus, and two trailers.
According to the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the tanker, which was conveying 45,000 litres of diesel from Apapa inward to Oshodi, collided with a commercial minibus, triggering a chain reaction that involved two other trailers – a flatbed and a 40-foot container truck. The impact resulted in a massive fire outbreak.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service quickly responded to the emergency call, deploying personnel and equipment to the scene.
In a statement, the Senior Public Affairs Officer of the service, Fadairo Maria, said, “Upon arrival, responders discovered that a diesel-laden tanker had collided with a commercial minibus before being struck by two trailers. The impact triggered a fire incident.”
The firefighters were able to put out the blaze and carried out mop-up operations to secure the area.
Three individuals sustained varying degrees of injuries in the incident and have been taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
The Controller General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, urged motorists to exercise greater caution to prevent such unfortunate occurrences.
“We appeal to motorists to always be mindful of their actions on the road and adhere to traffic rules and regulations,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) attributed the incident to speeding.
In a statement signed by the agency’s spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, LASTMA noted that its preliminary findings showed that the accident occurred after the driver lost control of the diesel-laden tanker while navigating the Oshodi corridor.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, confirmed that more operatives from nearby zones were urgently deployed to support containment measures.
He further affirmed that no human casualty was recorded, largely owing to LASTMA’s prompt intervention in cordoning off the affected corridor and restricting vehicular movement from Ilasa inward to Oshodi.
The coordinated effort to respond to the incident involved the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, officers of the Nigeria Police Force from Aswani, Ilasa, and Mushin Divisions, as well as personnel of the Neighbourhood Safety Corps.
These teams collectively subdued the inferno and precluded its escalation into a greater tragedy.
The incident is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of road accidents, particularly those involving fuel-laden tankers.
In March 2025, a similar explosion involving a 30-tonne gas truck near the Otedola Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway resulted in the loss of three lives and significant property damage.
As the investigation into the incident continues, residents of Lagos State are breathing a sigh of relief that no lives were lost in the latest incident, thanks to the prompt response of emergency services.
However, the incident serves as a wake-up call for authorities to intensify efforts to improve road safety and prevent such accidents in the future.
