2 die, properties destroyed as truck crashes into gas tanker in Lagos

 

Two people lost their lives early Saturday after a tipper truck collided with a gas tanker along the Lekki–Epe Expressway in the Sangotedo area of Lagos.

The crash, which happened at about 2:36 a.m., caused extensive damage, destroying three warehouses and 10 shops in the vicinity.

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service Controller General, Margaret Adeseye, confirmed the incident, noting that emergency teams from the Lekki Phase II, Oniru and Epe II fire stations responded promptly following distress calls.

Initial reports show that a speeding 20-tonne tipper truck coming from the Epe axis rammed into the rear of a stationary 30-tonne gas tanker that had not completely moved off the road.

The collision sparked a large fire that quickly spread to nearby buildings, consuming three warehouses and 10 roadside shops, among them a gym and a generator house.

Adeseye said firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control and stopped it from reaching a nearby filling station as well as a fully loaded 33,000-litre Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) tanker, preventing what could have been a far more serious explosion.

Emergency responders also recovered three Sienna buses, a Toyota Corolla and a forklift from the affected area.

“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 at the time of filing this report, authorities were still carrying out evacuation of the wreckage from the scene.