Two persons burnt beyond recognition as gas tanker collides with tipper truck in Sangotedo, Lagos

Sangotedo, Lagos – A gas explosion ripped through the Ajah axis of Lagos early Saturday, killing two people and destroying three warehouses along with 10 roadside shops.

The crash happened around 2:36am at the Tera Ahmed bus stop in Sangotedo on the Lekki-Epe Expressway.

A speeding 20-tonne tipper truck coming from the Epe direction rammed into the rear of a stationary 30-tonne gas tanker that had failed to pull off the road. The impact sparked an inferno that quickly spread to nearby properties.

NaijaChoice News gathered that firefighters from Lekki Phase II, Oniru and Epe II stations rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control before it could reach a nearby Total Petrol Filling Station and its fully loaded 33,000-litre PMS tanker.

Controller General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said the quick response saved further disaster.

“After the blaze was doused, three Sienna buses, one Toyota Corolla car and a forklift were recovered from the affected premises,” she stated.

The tipper truck driver and his assistant, both adult males, were burnt beyond recognition. The gas tanker driver escaped unhurt.

Director of Public Affairs for the service, Amodu Shakiru, confirmed to NaijaChoice News that the fire was fully extinguished as normalcy began returning to the area.

Officials said recovery teams were working to tow away the wreckage of both trucks from the expressway to ease traffic.

Sangotedo residents and traders who lost shops and goods expressed shock at the scale of damage, with many calling for stricter enforcement against speeding heavy vehicles on the busy Lekki-Epe corridor.

The incident has once again drawn attention to road safety challenges in Lagos, where tanker and truck movements remain constant.