No fewer than three persons were rescued on Sunday after a diesel-laden tanker, a mini commercial bus, and two trailers were involved in a string of crashes that triggered an explosion along the Oshodi-Apapa Motorway in the Iyana Isolo area of Lagos State.
Chronicle NG gathered from the Senior Public Affairs Officer of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Fadairo Maria, in a statement, that the incident occurred around 1:05 pm.
“The emergency call was received at 13:05 hrs through the Isolo and Bolade fire stations, which immediately deployed personnel and equipment to the scene,” the statement read.
According to the fire service, the tanker, which was conveying 45,000 litres of diesel from Apapa inward to Oshodi, collided with a commercial minibus.
The accident triggered a chain reaction involving two other trailers, one a flatbed and the other a 40-foot container truck, which resulted in a fire.
“Upon arrival, responders discovered that a diesel-laden tanker had collided with a commercial minibus before being struck by two trailers.
“The impact triggered a fire incident,” the agency disclosed.
However, firefighters were able to put out the blaze and carried out mop-up operations to secure the area.
“Three individuals sustained varying degrees of injuries in the incident and have been taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
“At present, efforts are ongoing to evacuate the wreckage of the vehicles to restore free flow of traffic in the area,” the statement added.
The fire service said preliminary investigations traced the accident to the collision between the tanker and the minibus, which “narrowly escaped without casualties” before the involvement of the trailers.