LAGOS — A diesel-loaded tanker fell from the Otedola Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Monday afternoon and burst into flames underneath the structure toward the Berger axis, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky and causing significant traffic disruption.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed it received a distress alert at approximately 4:24 p.m. and immediately deployed its Tiger response team to the scene. Spokesperson Olawale Afolabi stated in a brief update: “Tiger team en route to Otedola. Tanker on fire.”
According to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the diesel tanker reportedly fell from the bridge, caught fire, and was engulfed in flames underneath the structure inward Berger. Two casualties were recorded. Firefighters battled the inferno while emergency responders attended to the situation and arranged to convey the victims to hospital. LASTMA personnel managed traffic along the affected corridor to ensure safety and minimise disruption.
Videos from the scene, including footage shared by Channels Television, showed intense flames burning under the bridge pillars, with dense black smoke rising high above the expressway. Bystanders gathered at a distance as fire trucks and emergency vehicles arrived. Thick smoke billowed across the area, affecting visibility, while traffic built up on approach roads.
Reports indicated the tanker was carrying diesel. One account from emergency responders described a 33,000-litre petroleum tanker that spilled its contents after falling between the inward and outward sections of the bridge before catching fire. The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service later reported that the blaze had been controlled and extinguished.
Motorists were advised to exercise extreme caution when approaching the area, comply with traffic directives from LASTMA and other agencies, and consider alternative routes where possible. The incident once again highlighted the vulnerability of the busy Otedola Bridge corridor, which has witnessed several tanker-related accidents and fires in recent years.
As of the latest updates, emergency operations were ongoing, with responders working to fully secure the site and restore normal traffic flow. Further details on the condition of the casualties and the precise cause of the fall were still being ascertained.
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