Early on Christmas Day, a tanker explosion near the Oto-Ijanikin axis of the Badagry Expressway in Lagos burned two people to death.  

A Mack truck carrying diesel was involved in the incident, according to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), which verified that it happened close to the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) inside Agbara.  

The unidentified tanker driver reportedly lost control while trying to pass another car at a fast speed.  The driver and a captive female passenger were burned to death when it crashed and caught fire.

In order to stop more incidents, LASTMA authorities said that its staff, who were on traffic monitoring duty in the region, reacted quickly by cordoning off the impacted part of the road.  

The Federal Road Safety Corps, the Ijanikin Police Division, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Ojo Unit, and the FRSC were reportedly notified.  

Additionally, LASTMA personnel stopped people who had gathered at the scene from scooping up the spilled diesel, which they described as a very risky behavior that could cause secondary explosions.  According to the agency, the move prevented the disaster from getting worse.

Following the containment of the fire, FRSC authorities collected the deceased's remains while LASTMA evacuated the burned tanker from the road to allow traffic to resume.  

In response, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, General Manager of LASTMA, consoled the victims' families and expressed his profound sadness over the situation. He described the fatalities as tragic and preventable, particularly during the holiday season.  

Noting that "over-speeding and reckless driving remain major causes of fatal road crashes in Lagos," Bakare-Oki advised drivers of articulated vehicles and tankers to rigorously follow traffic laws and speed limits.  

Additionally, he cautioned the public against scooping petroleum products from accident scenes, emphasizing that doing so put people's lives and property at serious risk.

Source