Following the crash and subsequent explosion of a fuel tanker said to be carrying 33,000 litres of petrol on Monday at Cele Bus Stop, along the Mile 2 Expressway, two unidentified persons were reportedly burnt to death.

The explosion which also consumed several cars, stretched to about 500 metres of the ever busy bus stop, gutting everything in its path, including the wares of some road side traders.

Although the identities of the deceased persons were yet to be officially established, several others sustained varying degree of injuries as they made to escape the flames.

The crash, which happened at about 5.30p.m., was said to have happened after the driver of the tanker lost control and swerved to a boulder separating both sides of the road.

However, an eyewitness narrated his ordeal saying: “I was coming from Mile 2 when the explosion happened and I have been standing at Cele for more than two hours. What happened was that the truck carry fuel was over speeding and the driver was trying to dodge a speeding Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) beside it before hitting a culvert which makes it to fall and eventually explode. The driver and his partner couldn’t escape and they got burnt to death.”

The impact of the clash was said to have first caused a spillage of the product, before it later exploded and gutted everything in sight before men of the Lagos State Fire Service arrived at the scene.

The accident resulted in a terrible traffic snarl stretching from Coker Bus Stop to Cele, forcing road users to divert to the inner roads, which were not really motorable.

At the scene of the explosion, emergency responders present were the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Lagos State Fire Service, the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) and the police who maintained law and order.

As at 8pm., the fire had been completely doused and some of the emergency vehicles began to withdraw.

Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe told journalists that no fewer than six fire fighting trucks were mobilised to control the wild fire.

Fadipe, however, said the fire was put out around 7:40pm. Several shops were said to have been burnt in the area.

He said: “The fire is totally put out now. Six fire trucks went to the scene of fire, three tankers and three fire fenders. An accident occurred between two articulated vehicles which resulted into the tankers falling down and a spillage into the drainage system. Fortunately, it did not flow on the road, we actively combated the fire. At the end of operation, we recovered two bodies from the truck while a car, Passat was also recovered. About four trucks were also affected by the fire. So, our prompt response prevented the fire from spreading to the market.”

Fadipe urged drivers of articulated vehicles, especially tankers to understand that what they are conveying are highly combustible and inflammable.

“Therefore, that kind of person should have known that he is not supposed to be struggling for space with other road users. Such drivers of articulated vehicles should be persons that can read and write and who would understand the signs and signals on the road. He should know when to speed and when to approach vehicles,” he said.

The NEMA South -west Spokesperson, Ibrahim Farinloye, however said only one person was confirmed dead.

He said, “The fuel tanker was going toward Oshodi when it exploded at Cele Bus Stop. The fire spread across the entire expressway but it has been controlled.”

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