A fuel tanker on Saturday morning fell and caught fire at the Ibafo/Aseese axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency said that no life was lost.
Our correspondent, who went to the incident scene, met emergency responders—men of the Fire Rescue Services, Federal Road Safety Corps, and others working to put out the fire.
The fire incident was eventually successfully contained around 8.30am.
Traffic in the area is gradually resuming normal flow, as our correspondent reports that the traffic is already getting to the Wawa/Arepo axis of the expressway.
Emergency operatives remain on the ground to assist in easing the traffic congestion caused by the incident.
TRACE Spokesperson, Babatunde Akinbiyi, said that the incident happened around 7am.
His message read, “Fire update at Ibafo. As of 0830 hrs., the fire has finally been put to rest. Traffic is gradually moving.
“Operatives are on the ground to ease the traffic. I will provide additional updates later.”
Meanwhile, TRACE Divisional Commander, Mowe-Ibafo, Kabir Ojerinde, confirmed that no lives were lost in the accident.
In a phone call with our correspondent, he mentioned that the trans-loading of the remaining fuel into another tanker is currently ongoing.
Regarding the cause of the accident, Ojerinde explained, “Yes, the crash happened very early in the morning around 5:30 am. Fortunately, there were no other vehicles involved.
“While we cannot confirm if overspeeding was a factor, the tanker was said to have overturned and caught fire.
“The emergency response was swift, and we moved the truck from the road to ease traffic.
“Currently, the trans-loading is ongoing, with another truck on-site handling the remnants.”
He also noted that the name of the filling station or tanker owner remains unknown at this time.
“The tanker is burnt beyond recognition, so we do not have details about the tanker’s ownership and number plate,” he added.
On the other hand, the Ogun FRSC spokesperson, Florence Okpe, said in a statement shared with our correspondent that five adult males were involved but no casualties were recorded.
This was contained in a statement titled, “Crash Report of a Burning Tanker at Ibafo along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.”
The statement read, “The crash occurred at 0657 hrs this morning on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway around the Ago Igbala/Ibafo area of Ogun State.
“A total of five persons were involved, all male adults, and fortunately, neither death nor injury were recorded.
“The vehicle involved was an IVECO truck with no number plate on it.
“The suspected cause of the lone crash was speed, and the vehicle lost control and crashed. The tanker was loaded with fuel, and no casualties were recorded.
“The rescue operation has come to a conclusion, but traffic managers are still managing the traffic situation caused by the crash.”
FRSC warns
In a related report, the Ogun Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) called on tanker drivers to install speed limit devices and adhere to traffic regulations to reduce road crashes.
FRSC Sector Commander in Ogun, Mr Anthony Uga, emphasised this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Ota.
Reacting to the tanker accident, Uga said, “We are appealing to these drivers to install speed limit devices and safety valves to avoid preventable disasters.
“They should also ensure their tankers are in proper working condition by conducting daily checks before any trip.”
Uga urged tanker owners to employ qualified drivers and provide proper training to ensure road safety for all users.
