Hundreds of motorists are trapped on the Magboro axis of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in Ogun State after a fuel tanker, on Wednesday, caught fire.
The incident has caused gridlock at both inward and outward lanes of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, as the fuel being conveyed by the tanker had spilled to the other side of the expressway.
Findings by Nairametrics reveals that the men of the Fire Service and other agencies are battling to extinguish the fire and move the tanker off the road.
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The Federal Road Safety Commission’s Corridor Commander, Kehinde Hamzat, who confirmed that the tanker went up in flames around 4:15 am, advised motorists to avoid the axis and use other routes.
FRSC’s notice read, “The Federal Road Safety Corps wishes to advise the general public on the need for adequate planning of their trips for today for users of the Lagos-Ibadan Corridor.
“The tanker explosion on Magboro bridge on the outward Lagos section of the expressway which occurred at about 0415hrs in the early hours of the day, Wednesday 2nd December, 2020 has called for the need to adjust one’s movement for the day.
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“The fire is still burning as at 05.20am and this means a total standstill situation of vehicular movement along the expressway.
“Relentless efforts are still being made to extinguish the fire by men of Fire Service backed up by men of other agencies around the scene of the inferno.
“We, therefore, advise the general public to have adequate planning for their trips for those who cannot cancel their planned journeys. We also advise that travellers who are bound to transit in and out of Lagos from the neighbouring state to explore alternative routes where necessary.
“All hands on deck to ensure that the situation is professionally managed and the road returned to proper use for the public.”
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What you should know
- Barely 25 days ago, Nairametrics reported that a fuel-laden tanker went up in flames at the Kara end of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
- The explosion reportedly claimed two lives and over 20 vehicles (some of which are parked for sale along the traffic corridor).
- This was disclosed by LASEMA in its Post-disaster assessment report shared via its Twitter handle on Saturday.
- According to the agency, aside from the two fatalities, 10 casualties were recorded, 23 vehicles affected including 1 tanker containing 45000 litres of petrol, 1 luxurious passenger bus, 2 articulated vehicles, and 19 cars.
Explore Data on the Nairametrics Research Website
This tanker explosion can be traced back to the activity of touts at ojota that attack those drivers if they don’t give them money, while threatening the driver they draw the air hose some occasions the hose might cut or remove in some cases which will affect the hydraulic system of the truck I just suggest the law enforcement should look into this issue