A tanker fully laden with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, on Sunday, overturned while on transit in Lagos and instantaneously engulfed in flames.
In a statement by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Taofiq Adebayo, he said the fire sparked an uncontrollable conflagration which cascaded into no fewer than four adjoining trucks parked within the immediate axis.
According to Adebayo, preliminary intelligence indicated that the disaster was precipitated by over-speeding, which occasioned the driver’s loss of control while negotiating the inward Oshodi corridor.
“LASTMA has once again exemplified its institutional swiftness, operational dexterity, and resolute commitment to public safety by intervening expeditiously in a catastrophic incident that unfolded today at Iyana-Isolo inward Oshodi, Lagos.
“A petroleum-laden tanker, heavily freighted with PMS, tragically sparking an uncontrollable conflagration which cascaded into no fewer than four adjoining trucks parked within the immediate axis.
“Preliminary intelligence has conclusively indicated that the disaster was precipitated by egregious over speeding, which occasioned the driver’s loss of control whilst negotiating the inward Oshodi corridor.
“In an immediate display of coordinated emergency management, LASTMA operatives under the direct supervision of the Agency’s operational command swiftly galvanized allied responders.
“These included the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, officers of the Nigeria Police Force from Aswani, Ilasa, and Mushin Divisions, alongside vigilant personnel of the Neighbourhood Safety Corps, all of whom collectively subdued the inferno and precluded its escalation into a greater tragedy,” he stated.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, disclosed that additional operatives from adjoining zones had been urgently mobilised to fortify the ongoing containment measures.
He further affirmed, with relief, that no human casualty was recorded, largely owing to LASTMA’s prompt intervention in cordoning off the affected corridor and restricting vehicular movement from Ilasa inward Oshodi.
Mr. Bakare-Oki cautioned operators of articulated vehicles, fuel tankers, and other high-capacity conveyances to adhere stringently to statutory speed limitations as expressly indicated on the Lagos State Government’s regulatory road signages.
He emphasized that such compliance remains a non-negotiable prerequisite for the preservation of human life, the protection of property, and the sustenance of collective safety across the State’s transportation corridors.
Furthermore, the General Manager passionately enjoined members of the public to make proactive use of LASTMA’s toll-free hotline for the swift reporting of any traffic-related mishap, emergency, or unforeseen eventuality, assuring that the Agency remains perpetually prepared to deliver prompt and decisive intervention.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority reaffirmed its unwavering resolve to the preservation of life, the safeguarding of property, and the continuous promotion of a safe, orderly, and sustainable traffic management system in Lagos State.
