A 45,000-litre tanker laden with Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, overturned at Isimi Lagos, inward Itokin, Epe, spilling fuel onto the roadway and prompting a multi-agency emergency response.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, said its LRT Beta Whales Team stationed in Epe was activated following a distress call received at about 10:19 a.m. and immediately dispatched to the scene.
On arrival, responders found the fallen tanker involved in an accident with a Ford pickup van loaded with animal feed.
Preliminary findings indicated that the tanker was attempting to manoeuvre past the stationary pickup van, which had developed a mechanical fault on the carriageway, when one of its rear tyres slipped into a pit. The tanker subsequently overturned onto the pickup van, resulting in the spillage of its highly flammable contents onto the road.
LASEMA activated its multi-agency incident management protocol, working alongside 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.
The agencies immediately secured the area, implemented traffic control and diversion measures, and deployed safety protocols to reduce the risk of a secondary incident.
As part of the containment operation, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service blanketed the fallen tanker and surrounding area with chemical foam as a precaution against a possible fire outbreak.
The affected section of the road was also temporarily closed to vehicular movement to safeguard motorists and other road users while emergency operations continued.
A transloading operation was subsequently carried out, with the remaining PMS safely transferred from the accidented tanker into an empty tanker.
Following the successful transfer of the petroleum product, private recovery equipment was deployed to remove the fallen tanker and the affected Ford pickup van from the roadway. Both vehicles were subsequently taken to Ketu Police Station.
The road has since been reopened to traffic, with normal vehicular movement restored.
LASEMA said no death or injury was recorded in the incident.
The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, commended the coordinated efforts of the emergency responders and other agencies involved in the operation, noting that their timely intervention helped prevent a potentially serious incident.
He reiterated the Lagos State Government's commitment to strengthening emergency preparedness and rapid response capacity while protecting lives and property across the state.
Oke-Osanyintolu urged motorists, particularly operators of tankers and other heavy-duty vehicles transporting combustible products, to ensure their vehicles are properly maintained, comply with road safety regulations and exercise caution on Lagos roads.
Members of the public were also encouraged to promptly report emergencies and road incidents through the state's toll-free emergency lines to facilitate timely intervention.
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