Panic gripped commuters on Sunday afternoon after a fuel tanker overturned and burst into flames at the busy Iyana-Isolo axis of the Apapa–Oshodi Expressway in Lagos.
According to eyewitnesses, the fully-loaded tanker lost control while trying to park near the Iyana-Isolo bus stop, rammed into a commercial bus, and toppled into a roadside gutter, all in a matter of seconds.
What followed was an explosion that lit up the expressway and sent people fleeing in every direction.
The blaze quickly consumed the tanker, a nearby container truck, and even part of the expressway itself.
Footage captured by bystanders showed thick smoke billowing into the sky as flames raged.
The tanker driver was seen lying on the ground with visible injuries, while a co-passenger also sustained wounds. Both victims were rushed to a nearby hospital.
“It was terrifying,” said Oladiran Olanrewaju, a truck driver who witnessed the incident.
“The tanker had brake failure. In trying to avoid hitting people, the driver swerved and lost control. The fire didn’t start immediately, but once it did, it spread fast.”
He added that it took nearly 45 minutes before the fire service arrived, a delay he described as “dangerous and unacceptable,” urging the government to improve emergency response times.
Another witness said the tanker tried to avoid a danfo (commercial bus) that suddenly crossed its path.
In doing so, it clipped the bus and fell into the gutter, leaking fuel that soon ignited.
Teams from the Lagos State Fire Service, LASEMA, police, and LASTMA rushed to the scene to contain the situation. Officials from Ikeja Electric were also present to secure the area and prevent further hazards.
According to LASTMA, the crash involved a flatbed trailer, a container-laden truck, and a danfo. The agency confirmed that the road was temporarily shut down and traffic diverted to alternative routes.
Despite the intensity of the fire, authorities say there were no fatalities.
“We responded immediately after getting the alert,” said Tunbosun Haruna, Vice Chairman of Mushin Local Government, who addressed reporters at the scene.
“Thankfully, no lives were lost. The fire has been put out, and we’ve directed LASTMA to ease the traffic, it had already built up to Ijesha.”
By late afternoon, the fire was under control, and emergency officials remained on-site to clear the wreckage and restore normal traffic flow.
