A petrol tanker carrying 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit overturned at Isimi, Epe, Lagos State, on Thursday. The fuel spilled all over the road.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) shared this in a statement signed by its Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu.
The agency confirmed that no one was hurt and no lives were lost during the incident.
The statement explained that the tanker, with registration number T-18212LA, crashed into a Ford pickup van marked KJA-13FJ. The pickup had a mechanical fault and was stopped along the road.
LASEMA noted, "Preliminary investigation revealed that the tanker, while trying to go past the stationary Ford pickup van which had developed a mechanical fault along the carriageway, had one of its rear tyres slip into a pit. This caused it to overturn and fall onto the pickup van, leading to the spillage of its highly inflammable contents onto the roadway."
The agency received a distress call at 10:19 am and quickly sent its LRT Beta Whales Team stationed at Epe.
They said, "Upon arrival, responders saw a tanker loaded with 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, with registration number T-18212LA, which was involved in an accident with a Ford pickup van loaded with animal feed, marked KJA-13FJ."
LASEMA started its multi-agency incident management protocol. The LRT worked with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps, and the Nigeria Police Force.
The agencies quickly secured the area, controlled traffic, and set up safety measures to avoid another incident.
As per the agency, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service covered the fallen tanker and nearby area with chemical foam to reduce the risk of fire.
They added, "The affected section of the road was temporarily closed to vehicles to ensure public safety."
LASEMA reported that they successfully transferred the remaining fuel from the damaged tanker to an empty one.
"With careful planning and execution, the transfer of the remaining PMS from the accidented tanker to an empty tanker was completed without any issues," they stated.
Both vehicles were later taken from the road with the help of a private tow truck and brought to Ketu Police Station.
"The road has since reopened and is now clear for vehicles," LASEMA confirmed.
The agency reiterated, "Fortunately, no loss of life or injury was recorded in the incident."
Oke-Osanyintolu praised the emergency responders for their quick action, saying, "The swift response and teamwork of all emergency responders prevented what could have been a major disaster."
He urged drivers, especially those with heavy vehicles and tankers, to keep their vehicles in good condition and be careful on Lagos roads.
The statement reminded all drivers of heavy-duty vehicles and tankers carrying flammable products to keep their vehicles in good mechanical shape, follow traffic rules, and drive cautiously on Lagos roads.
It also encouraged the public to report emergencies and road incidents by calling the toll-free lines 767 and 112.
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