A gas explosion triggered by a collision between a speeding tipper truck and a stationary gas tanker has killed at least two people and destroyed multiple warehouses and roadside shops along the Lekki-Epe Expressway in the Ajah axis of Lagos, plunging nearby communities into darkness and panic in the early hours of Saturday.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency confirmed that the explosion occurred at approximately 2:36 am at Ologuro bus stop, Sangotedo, after a 20-tonne tipper truck coming from the Epe end rammed at speed into a 30-tonne gas tanker that had failed to pull off the highway. Preliminary investigations by LASEMA determined that over-speeding and reckless driving on the part of the tipper truck driver was the immediate cause of the incident.
The truck driver and his assistant, both adult males, were burnt beyond recognition in the resulting inferno, while the driver of the gas tanker managed to escape unhurt. Two other people sustained injuries and were promptly administered first aid by officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Services.
The scale of destruction was severe. The resulting fire spread rapidly to three adjoining warehouses and ten roadside shops, including a gym and a generator house, before emergency responders managed to bring the blaze under control. Firefighters narrowly prevented the fire from reaching a nearby Total Petrol Filling Station and its fully loaded 33,000-litre PMS tanker.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that its Lekki Phase II, Oniru, and Epe II Fire Stations raced to the scene after receiving the alert, with Controller General Margaret Adeseye confirming in a statement that the fire had been brought under control. The LASEMA Shark Team worked in collaboration with fire service operatives and Lagos State Ambulance Services throughout the operation.
The incident sparked widespread panic among residents, with eyewitness Ayo-Bankole Akintujoye alerting the public on social media: “There’s a massive gas explosion in the Ajah area of Lagos. Multiple properties have been affected, and the situation is severe.”
The explosion also knocked out electricity across eleven communities in the area. The Eko Electricity Distribution Company subsequently confirmed that the fire had caused significant damage to its Ibeju and Medallion 33kV feeders, including critical conductors and overhead line equipment, triggering a blackout across Sangotedo, Majek, Fidiso, Awoyaya, Container, Eputu, Lagasa, Losoro, Kajola, and Onisan, with repair teams deployed to restore supply.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority said its operatives evacuated the burnt carcasses of both the tipper truck and the gas tanker using high-capacity rescue equipment to allow traffic to flow and emergency responders to operate freely. Investigations into the incident are continuing, with authorities yet to formally identify all victims at the time of filing this report.
