By Ayomide Otitoju
Panic gripped motorists and residents around Iyana-Isolo on the Apapa–Oshodi Expressway in Lagos on Sunday after a fully loaded tanker overturned and burst into flames.
Eyewitnesses said the tanker, which reportedly lost its brakes while the driver attempted to park, rammed into a commercial bus before toppling into a roadside gutter and exploding. The fire consumed the tanker, a container-laden trailer, and parts of the expressway, forcing commuters to flee for safety.
Amateur footage obtained by Channels Television showed the tanker driver lying injured on the ground, while his co-passenger also sustained injuries. Witnesses confirmed that the bus driver was rushed to hospital.
“The tanker developed a fault this morning. On its way, it lost its brakes, and in an attempt to stop, it rammed into a commercial bus that had stopped to drop passengers,” one eyewitness said. Another, Oladiran Olanrewaju, added: “The tanker was fully loaded, and in trying to avoid killing many people, the driver lost control and the vehicle eventually fell over. It took about 45 minutes before the fire service arrived.”
Emergency responders, including officials of the Lagos State Fire Service, LASEMA, LASTMA, police, and Ikeja Electric, were deployed to the scene to contain the blaze, divert traffic, and restore normalcy. LASTMA, in an update on its official X account, confirmed that the crash involved a flatbed trailer, a container truck, and a commercial bus.
Chairman of Mushin Local Government, Tunbosun Haruna, who visited the scene, commended the efforts of emergency agencies and confirmed that no lives were lost. “They have managed the traffic situation, and we instructed LASTMA to open the road because the gridlock had extended to Ijesha,” he said.
