The death toll from the tanker fire at Sangotedo has risen to two after a tragic crash on the Lekki–Epe Expressway in Lagos early Saturday.
A tipper truck driver and his assistant were burnt beyond recognition after their vehicle rammed into a gas tanker at Tera Ahmed bus stop.
The Controller General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, confirmed the fatalities in a statement.
She said the 20-tonne tipper truck crashed into the rear of a 30-tonne gas tanker that had failed to pull off the highway.
Earlier, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) reported one death, while two women sustained minor injuries and received treatment at the scene.
According to LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, preliminary findings point to overspeeding and reckless driving by the tipper driver as the cause of the crash.
The fire service confirmed that both the driver and his assistant died in the incident, adding that the fire triggered by the collision has been contained.
In its statement, the agency said the accident occurred around 2:36 a.m., prompting emergency response teams from Lekki Phase II, Oniru, and Epe II fire stations.
“The impact led to a fire that spread to three warehouses and 10 roadside shops, including a gym and generator house,” the statement said.
Firefighters prevented further damage, saving a nearby filling station, a fully loaded 33,000-litre PMS tanker, and other properties.
After extinguishing the blaze, responders recovered three Sienna buses, a Toyota Corolla, and a forklift from the affected area.
The gas tanker driver escaped unhurt, while efforts are ongoing to clear the wreckage and restore full normalcy to the road.
