Two people were killed early Thursday when a diesel-laden tanker exploded along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway at the Oto-Ijanikin axis. The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said the tanker lost control while attempting to overtake another vehicle near the Lagos State University of Education.
According to LASTMA, preliminary investigations showed excessive speed contributed to the crash. “The tanker driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle while attempting to overtake another road user,” the agency said, adding that the vehicle crashed and “erupted into a raging inferno,” killing the driver and an adult female occupant.
LASTMA said its officers cordoned off the area and alerted emergency responders, including the fire service, FRSC and police. The agency said officers prevented residents from scooping diesel, evacuated the tanker and removed the victims’ remains. LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki described the incident as “deeply painful and entirely avoidable.”