The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has confirmed that a gas tanker explosion under Otedola Bridge on Tuesday night claimed two lives and left six people injured. The blast, which erupted around 8 p.m., also razed 12 vehicles, eight tricycles, and a building.

The incident involved a 30-tonne DAF truck, unregistered and carrying Automated Gas Oil (AGO), which overturned while navigating a bend toward Omole. Moments after the crash, an explosion unleashed fireballs that engulfed a nearby Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), a bungalow, and a mechanic village.

In a Wednesday morning update, LASEMA Permanent Secretary Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu revealed that the two deceased were adult males. Of the six injured, three sustained severe burns requiring hospital treatment, while the others received on-site medical care.

“At 8:14 p.m., LASEMA’s Tiger Response Team arrived to find the overturned 30-tonne gas tanker ablaze, with flames spreading to nearby vehicles and structures,” Oke-Osanyintolu recounted. “We swiftly enacted safety measures and fire containment protocols to halt further damage. Search and rescue efforts followed.”

The fire was extinguished by 10:02 p.m., with the deceased transferred to the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) and the injured under medical care. The operation saw collaboration from multiple agencies, including the LASEMA Response Team, Pre-Hospital Care Unit, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LASTMA, Nigeria Police Force, and LASAMBUS.

The devastating explosion underscores the risks of such incidents in densely populated areas, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.