The incident involved an articulated Iveco tanker, with registration number RBC 98 XX, which “lost vehicular control and toppled onto the bridge,” leading to “significant structural impairment to the tanker and the uncontrolled discharge of large volumes of diesel across the carriageway.”
A potentially catastrophic fire outbreak was averted on Monday on the Liverpool Bridge inward Mile 2 corridor, Apapa, after a diesel-laden tanker was involved in a serious accident, according to a press release by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).
The incident involved an articulated Iveco tanker, with registration number RBC 98 XX, which “lost vehicular control and toppled onto the bridge,” leading to “significant structural impairment to the tanker and the uncontrolled discharge of large volumes of diesel across the carriageway.”
The spillage, which flowed from the elevated bridge to the area beneath, raised serious safety concerns, as the petroleum product is “highly combustible.” LASTMA said the situation was further worsened when “some unscrupulous individuals… attempted to scoop the diesel,” thereby increasing the risk of an inferno.
However, LASTMA officials, working alongside the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, were said to have acted swiftly after receiving an emergency alert. According to the statement, operatives “immediately mobilised to the scene,” dispersed the crowd involved in the scooping of diesel, and “decisively cordoned off the affected area.”
The agency added that its personnel also “swiftly activated established inter-agency emergency response mechanisms” by notifying security operatives and the fire service, a move that “effectively neutralised the imminent threat of combustion.”
The tanker driver, who sustained severe injuries during the crash, was rescued from the scene. LASTMA said he “was courageously rescued by LASTMA officials and urgently conveyed to the General Hospital, Apapa, where he is currently receiving comprehensive medical attention.”
Security operatives from the Nigeria Police Force, Area ‘B’ Police Division, Apapa, were deployed to the scene to provide “robust security reinforcement,” maintain crowd control, regulate traffic flow and stabilise the environment.
To manage the aftermath, an alternative empty tanker was brought in to transload the remaining diesel, while LASTMA diverted traffic to the opposite carriageway “in the interest of public safety and to guarantee the seamless flow of traffic.”
Reacting to the incident, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, praised the “swift response, tactical efficiency and high-level coordination” of LASTMA personnel and other emergency responders, noting that their actions averted “another tragic fire disaster.”
He also warned members of the public against “the perilous practice of scooping petroleum products during tanker accidents,” stressing that such actions pose “severe threats to lives, property and the environment.”
The Lagos State Government, through LASTMA, reaffirmed its commitment to “proactive traffic management, rapid emergency response and the safeguarding of lives and critical public infrastructure across the State.”
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