A gas tanker explosion at Sangotedo in Lagos has left one person dead and two others injured, after a collision triggered a massive fire that engulfed nearby structures and caused widespread panic.
The incident occurred at Ologuro Bus Stop, opposite a filling station in the Sangotedo area, when a tipper truck rammed into a gas-laden tanker from behind, igniting an explosion that quickly escalated into a raging inferno. Emergency responders say the impact and subsequent fire claimed the life of the truck driver at the scene.
Confirming the development, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, said preliminary findings point to reckless driving as the immediate cause of the crash. He stated that “preliminary investigations indicate the tipper truck driver’s over speeding and reckless driving were the immediate causes.”
Oke-Osanyintolu added that the deceased, an adult male, died on impact, while two adult female victims sustained minor injuries and were promptly treated at the scene by officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service.
The explosion also caused significant property damage, with at least four roadside shops consumed by the fire. Authorities noted that the contents of the tanker remain trapped, complicating ongoing recovery operations at the site.
Emergency response teams, including LASEMA’s Shark Unit and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, were deployed swiftly to contain the blaze. Their intervention successfully prevented the fire from spreading to nearby buildings, averting what officials described as a potentially more devastating incident.
As of the latest update, the fire has been brought under control, while recovery and safety operations continue in the area. Authorities have cordoned off the scene as investigations proceed and efforts are made to safely manage the remaining tanker contents.
