A tanker loaded with 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, overturned at Isimi, Epe, Lagos State, on Thursday, spilling its contents onto the roadway.
The incident, according to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, occurred when the tanker, with registration number T-18212LA, attempted to manoeuvre around a stationary Ford pickup van marked KJA-13FJ.
The pickup van had reportedly developed a mechanical fault and was stationary along the carriageway when one of the tanker’s rear tyres slipped into a pit, causing the tanker to overturn and fall onto the van.
LASEMA, in a statement signed by its Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said no life was lost and no injury was recorded in the incident.
The agency said it received a distress call at 10:19am and immediately deployed its LRT Beta Whales Team stationed in Epe to the scene.
Following the arrival of emergency responders, LASEMA activated its multi-agency incident management protocol involving the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps and the Nigeria Police Force.
The agencies secured the affected area, controlled traffic and implemented safety measures to prevent a secondary incident.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service also applied chemical foam around the overturned tanker to reduce the risk of a fire outbreak, given the highly inflammable nature of the spilled product.
The affected section of the road was temporarily closed to vehicular movement while emergency operations were carried out.
LASEMA said the remaining PMS in the damaged tanker was successfully transferred into an empty tanker without incident.
The two vehicles were subsequently removed from the roadway with the assistance of a private tow truck and taken to Ketu Police Station.
The agency said the road had since been reopened to traffic.
Oke-Osanyintolu commended the emergency responders for their swift intervention and coordination, saying their professionalism helped avert what could have resulted in a major disaster.
He also urged motorists, particularly drivers of tankers and other heavy-duty vehicles conveying combustible products, to ensure their vehicles are in good mechanical condition, comply with traffic regulations and exercise caution on Lagos roads.
LASEMA further urged members of the public to report emergencies and road incidents through the 767 and 112 toll-free emergency lines.
