Two persons were killed in the early hours of Saturday following a collision between a tipper truck and a gas tanker along the Lekki–Epe Expressway in the Sangotedo area of Lagos.
The accident, which occurred around 2:36 a.m., also left widespread destruction in its wake, razing three warehouses and 10 shops.
Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service Controller General, Margaret Adeseye, said emergency responders from the Lekki Phase II, Oniru and Epe II fire stations were swiftly deployed after distress calls were received.
Preliminary findings indicate that a speeding 20-tonne tipper truck travelling from the Epe axis rammed into the rear of a stationary 30-tonne gas tanker that had not fully pulled off the highway.
- YOSPIS urges peaceful, responsible Eid celebrations in Kano, Nigeria
- Tribute to Umar ASCON: A Friend, A Brother, A Dreamer Gone Too Soon
The impact triggered a massive fire that rapidly spread to nearby structures, engulfing three warehouses and 10 roadside shops, including a gym and a generator house.
Adeseye noted that firefighters were able to contain the inferno and prevent it from spreading to a nearby filling station and a fully loaded 33,000-litre Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) tanker, thereby averting a potentially more devastating explosion.
Emergency officials also recovered three Sienna buses, a Toyota Corolla and a forklift from the affected premises.
“The driver of the tipper truck and his assistant were burnt beyond recognition, while the driver of the gas tanker escaped unhurt,” she said.
As of the time of filing this report, evacuation of the wreckage from the scene was ongoing.
