A fuel tanker carrying 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, commonly known as petrol, overturned on Friday along Ijako Road, inward Oke Oso, on the Ajah Expressway in Epe, Lagos State.
The incident occurred while the Mack tanker was reportedly ascending Ijako Hill when it suffered a mechanical failure, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and the tanker to fall on its side.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Friday by its Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu.
According to LASEMA, the agency received a distress alert at about 11:32am and immediately activated its Whales Team from the Epe Base. Emergency responders arrived at the scene approximately four minutes after the team was dispatched.
A preliminary assessment found that the tanker’s propeller had detached from its joint, causing the vehicle to lose momentum and overturn.
One of the tanker’s compartments was also found to be leaking petrol, prompting emergency responders to immediately begin containment measures to prevent a possible fire outbreak and environmental damage.
Fortunately, no fatalities or injuries were recorded in the incident.
Before the arrival of LASEMA personnel, officers of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service from the Oke Oso Station had already commenced efforts to contain the leaking petroleum product and prevent the situation from escalating.
Several emergency and security agencies were involved in the response, including LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps and representatives of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers.
The agencies coordinated their response under the Incident Command System, with traffic management measures put in place to protect motorists and other road users while emergency operations continued.
LASEMA said an empty tanker had been mobilised to safely transfer the remaining petrol from the overturned vehicle. The transfer, known as transloading, is expected to be completed before the fallen tanker can be recovered from the road.
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