All of a sudden, a tanker came flying down from the Otedola Bridge, plunged into the underpass beneath, and then fire.
The fire began licking everything around, seriously affecting two occupants of the tanker which was conveying diesel when it fell off the bridge.
Though the victims were rescued by emergency responders, there are fears over the extent of fire burns they suffered as a result, even as they were evacuated to the Lagos State Accident and Emergency Centre, Toll-Gate, for immediate medical attention.
“A lone crash involving a diesel-laden tanker on the outward section of the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway plunged the tanker into the underpass beneath Otedola Bridge, triggering a raging inferno today, at approximately 4:10 p.m”, Sector Public Education Officer, FRSC Lagos Sector Command, Elizabeth Jayeola said in a statement.
“The incident underscores the potentially catastrophic consequences of excessive speed, particularly among operators of heavy-duty vehicles transporting petroleum products.
“The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos Sector Command, confirmed that the crash occurred beneath Otedola Bridge. The FRSC rescue unit arrived promptly at the scene at 4:20 p.m., five minutes after the incident was reported at 4:15 p.m.
“Preliminary findings identified speeding as the reported cause of the incident, which involved a single tanker. Two adult male occupants sustained injuries and were taken to the Lagos State Accident and Emergency Centre for medical attention, while no fatalities were recorded in the initial crash report.
“FRSC personnel worked alongside operatives of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the Police and other emergency responders in coordinated efforts to contain the blaze, manage traffic and reduce the risk of further harm to road users and surrounding infrastructure.
“The incident presented a serious emergency, given the fire involving a petroleum-product tanker beneath a major expressway bridge.
Confirming the tanker fire incident in a statement, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), said its emergency response team worked with other agencies to extricate the victims from the danger zone.
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The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency’s Rescue Unit subsequently transported the injured victims to the medical facility for treatment.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, in the statement, commended the emergenc
y responders for their swift intervention, which facilitated the rescue and evacuation of the victims.
The Otedola bridge fire yesterday, has drawn attention to recurrent fire and other incidents the bridge.
