Traffic Gridlock On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway As Fuel tanker Explodes
A fuel tanker on Saturday morning fell and caught fire at the Ibafo/Aseese axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway causing a terrible traffic gridlock.
The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency said that no life was lost.
The fire incident was eventually successfully contained around 8.30am.
Emergency workers are also trying to ease the flow of traffic in the area
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 over-speeding 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.
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.
