A major disaster was averted in Lagos after a tanker carrying 33,000 litres of ethanol fell at the Second Rainbow Bridge in the Amuwo Odofin area of the state.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) disclosed this in a statement issued by its Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, on Wednesday, noting that no casualties were recorded.
According to the agency, the tanker, a FOTON truck with registration number APP 346 YC, fell while negotiating a turn on the bridge.
Oke-Osanyintolu said preliminary investigations attributed the incident to speeding, which caused the truck’s turntable to detach and fall onto the roundabout, obstructing the entire stretch.
He said the highly volatile nature of ethanol posed a significant risk of fire and explosion, prompting the agency’s Eagle Response Team and other emergency responders to cordon off the area and implement crowd and traffic control measures.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Federal Fire Service also applied chemical foam to the tanker and surrounding area to suppress fumes and prevent a secondary incident.
Officers of the Nigeria Police Force and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) supported the operation by securing the scene and managing traffic.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the coordinated response prevented a major disaster, with no deaths or injuries recorded.
In a separate incident, the agency’s Tiger Response Team from C3 restored traffic movement at Oke Koto, Agege, after a Dangote cement truck climbed a road divider and became stuck.
The incident, attributed to reckless driving, obstructed vehicular movement, prompting the deployment of the response team in collaboration with LASTMA.
The agency deployed its heavy-duty recovery equipment, known as Super Metro, to remove the truck, which was subsequently towed to the LASTMA yard for further action.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the road had been reopened to traffic and no deaths or injuries were recorded in the incident.
He commended the emergency responders for their swift intervention and urged motorists to obey speed limits and traffic regulations, particularly when transporting heavy loads and hazardous materials.
