Two people have been confirmed dead after a tragic crash involving a fuel tanker and a tipper truck along the Lekki–Epe Expressway in the Sangotedo area of Lagos.
The accident happened in the early hours of Saturday, between 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., when a speeding 20-tonne tipper truck reportedly rammed into a stationary 30-tonne gas tanker that had failed to pull off the road.
According to the Lagos State Fire Service, the impact triggered a massive fire outbreak that quickly spread to nearby properties. The blaze affected three warehouses and about 10 roadside shops, including a gym and a generator house, before firefighters were able to bring it under control.
In a narrow escape, a nearby Total filling station — which had a 33,000-litre petrol tanker on site — was saved from a potentially devastating explosion.
Emergency responders later recovered several vehicles from the scene, including three Sienna buses, a Toyota Corolla, and a forklift. Sadly, the tipper truck driver and his assistant were burnt beyond recognition, while the gas tanker driver survived the incident.
Authorities say efforts are ongoing to clear the wreckage from the road, although traffic has largely returned to normal.
In a separate incident the same day, a gas explosion occurred at a filling station in Calabar South, Calabar, causing panic among residents. The explosion, which happened around 9:40 a.m., was so loud that many initially feared it was a bomb blast.
No deaths were reported in that case, but residents expressed concern over the delayed arrival of emergency services, prompting intervention from the University of Calabar fire unit.
