No fewer than 40 persons were injured, while one life was lost in separate tanker-related explosions that occurred in Lagos and Cross River states on Saturday.
In Lagos, the explosion happened in the early hours along the Lekki–Epe Expressway near Ologuro Bus Stop in the Sangotedo area.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency disclosed that the incident occurred after a tipper truck crashed into a gas tanker, triggering a massive fire outbreak.
The agency’s Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed that the driver of the tipper truck died from the impact, while two women sustained injuries.
He said, “On arrival at the scene, it was discovered that a tipper truck rammed into a gas tanker, leading to a fire outbreak. The driver died instantly, while two adult females suffered minor injuries.”
Oke-Osanyintolu attributed the crash to excessive speed and reckless driving, noting that the resulting fire razed several roadside shops and caused significant damage.
Emergency responders, including officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, were able to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading further to adjoining buildings.
Also confirming the incident, the Federal Road Safety Corps, through its Sector Public Education Officer, Elizabeth Jayeola, said the crash involved a Sinotruck tipper and a Mack trailer.
She disclosed that four adult males were involved in the accident, with one fatality, one injured, and two escaping unhurt.
According to her, the accident was caused by speed violation, which led to loss of control and eventual collision, igniting a fire that left the tipper driver burnt beyond recognition, while his assistant sustained injuries.
The Controller General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said the inferno extended to nearby structures, affecting three warehouses and about 10 shops, including a gym and a generator house.
She added that several vehicles parked within the vicinity, including cars and buses, were also destroyed before firefighters brought the situation under control.
In a related development in Calabar, Cross River State, no fewer than 38 persons suffered varying degrees of burns following a gas explosion at a filling station.
The incident reportedly occurred during the transfer of gas from a storage tank to a service tank when a hose became detached, leading to gas leakage and eventual ignition.
An eyewitness, Ekanem Essien, described the scene as chaotic, likening the explosion to a bomb blast.
He said residents were thrown into confusion as they scrambled to escape, adding that he had to hurriedly evacuate his child and secure important belongings.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Sunday Eitokpah, confirmed that the leakage quickly escalated into a fire, leaving many residents injured, mostly from burns.
He noted that victims with severe injuries were rushed to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital for treatment.
Despite the scale of the explosion, the police said no death was recorded in the Calabar incident, while medical personnel continue to attend to the injured.