TVC E. Four persons have been confirmed dead, as a petrol tanker has collided with another truck, causing a fire explosion, on a major bridge along Lagos-Ibadan expressway, in the early hours of Wednesday.
Lagosians who are to ply the route on a Wednesday morning, got up to a very ugly start, with a major accident involving goods-laden truck, fuel tankers and some vehicles. As early as 4:30am traffic already started building-up, in what many thought was the usual traffic, which started last week due to the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. According to passers-by, vehicles heading toward the axis were diverted to the inward-Lagos lane as officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) cordoned off the outward Lagos-lane.
A bus driver giving account of the event said when he got to 7-Up bus-stop, he got caught up in traffic which he thought was due to the U-turn before Secretariat bus-stop, but on getting to the U-turn, he saw FRSC officials diverting vehicles to the inward-Lagos lane. Another eye-witness who requested anonymity, explained that the brake system of the tanker had failed, causing it to lose control and collide with another truck.
Vehicles that were already ahead on the cordoned off lane started making a u-turn to join the inward-Lagos lane. Public vehicles that are Mowe-Ibafo bound, are dropping off passengers at Berger bus stop refusing to go further, with passengers left with no other choice than to trek from Berger to their various destinations. Thanks to the prompt alertness of the FRSC, LASEMA, Lagos State Firefighters, and Police who were able to bring the situation under control with rescue operations still ongoing.
FRSC Officials however warned motorists that are now driving against traffic, to be careful.
A spokesman for the road safety, said that immediately the event occurred, “our men, LASEMA and many other emergency response organizations, rushed to the scene of the accident.
He believes that the accident was as a result of indiscipline of drivers. “What you have seen is a classical example of indiscipline that has been happening on this road, since the commencement of the rehabilitation of the roads. “As you can see, there are about four vehicles involved, which means two-lane carriage way had been converted to four-lanes and as a result, they struck themselves and there was a crash and also an explosion of fire. He however gave the assurance that the debris would be cleared, while the traffic would also be restored as soon as possible.
