45,000-Litre Fuel Tanker Overturns, Spills Contents On Lagos-Epe Road
A 45,000-litre petroleum tanker on Thursday overturned at Isimi Lagos, inward Itokin, along the Epe axis of Lagos State, spilling its contents onto the roadway.
The incident involved a tanker with registration number T-18212LA and a Ford pickup van, KJA-13FJ, which was reportedly carrying animal feed.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), in a statement, said its LRT Beta Whales Team stationed in Epe was activated at about 10:19 a.m. following a distress call concerning the incident.
Preliminary investigations by the agency indicated that the tanker was attempting to manoeuvre past the stationary Ford pickup, which had reportedly developed a mechanical fault on the carriageway.
During the manoeuvre, one of the tanker’s rear tyres slipped into a pit, causing the vehicle to overturn and fall onto the pickup van.
The accident resulted in the spillage of the tanker’s highly inflammable contents onto the road, prompting the immediate activation of LASEMA’s multi-agency emergency response protocol.
Responding agencies included the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigeria Police Force.
Emergency responders secured the area, introduced traffic control and diversion measures, and implemented safety protocols to minimise the risk of a secondary incident.
As part of measures to prevent a possible fire outbreak, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service applied chemical foam around the overturned tanker and its immediate surroundings.
The affected section of the road was temporarily closed to vehicular traffic to safeguard motorists and other road users.
LASEMA said the remaining Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in the damaged tanker was subsequently transferred safely into an empty tanker without incident.
The overturned tanker and the affected Ford pickup were later removed from the roadway with the assistance of a private tow truck and taken to Ketu Police Station.
Following the clearance of the vehicles and completion of the emergency operation, the road was reopened to traffic.
LASEMA confirmed that no life was lost and no injury was recorded in the accident.
The agency’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, commended the emergency responders for their swift and coordinated intervention, noting that their response helped avert a potentially serious disaster.
Oke-Osanyintolu urged motorists, particularly operators of tankers and other heavy-duty vehicles transporting combustible products, to ensure their vehicles are mechanically sound, comply with traffic regulations and exercise caution while driving.
He also called on members of the public to promptly report road crashes and other emergencies through the state’s toll-free emergency lines to facilitate timely intervention.
