Three escape unhurt as petrol tanker falls on bus in Lagos

A petrol tanker carrying 33,000 litres of diesel lost control and fell on a 14-seater bus on the Lagos-Ibadan motorway on Wednesday, causing traffic gridlock and panic among motorists and residents.

According to the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the bus had three people inside who managed to get out unharmed. The accident happened near the Otedola Bridge in Berger, where a similar tanker blast killed many people in 2018. The tanker was on its way to a petrol station outside Lagos when it slipped off the road and fell on the bus.

Some residents took advantage of the diesel spillage from the tanker and started to collect the product with jerrycans and buckets, despite the risk of fire from other drivers. They were also seen calling their friends to join them in the theft.

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service reached the scene and used chemical foam to stop the diesel from catching fire. The director of the agency, Adeseye Magret, said that they were able to control the spillage and avoid any fire. She also said that the tanker had trapped a 14-seater company bus, which had three people who were rescued safely. She praised the work of other emergency workers who helped in the operation.

This was the second tanker crash in Lagos in two days, as another tanker carrying diesel hit a pregnant woman and a motorcyclist in Surulere on Monday. These incidents have raised worries about the safety of road users and residents in the state.