One dies, 40 injured in Lagos, Calabar explosions

Scene of the accident in Calabar

No fewer than 40 people sustained injuries, while one person was confirmed dead, in separate tanker-related explosions in Lagos and Calabar  in Cross River states.

In Lagos, the incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday along the Lekki–Epe Expressway, around Ologuro Bus Stop, opposite a filling station in the Sangotedo area.

According to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, a tipper truck rammed into a gas tanker from behind, sparking a massive fire outbreak.

The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, in a statement, said one person died in the incident, while two others sustained injuries.

“Upon arrival at the scene, it was discovered that a tipper truck rammed into a gas tanker, resulting in a fire outbreak. The driver of the tipper truck died as a result of the impact, while two adult females sustained injuries,” he said.

Oke-Osanyintolu attributed the crash to excessive speeding and reckless driving, adding that the fire engulfed several roadside shops.

The Controller General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said the fire spread to nearby structures.

According to her, three warehouses and about 10 roadside shops, including a gym and a generator house, were affected before firefighters brought the situation under control.

Several vehicles, including buses and cars parked within the affected area, were also damaged.

In Calabar, Cross River State, no fewer than 38 persons sustained varying degree of burns following a gas explosion at a filling station.

The explosion reportedly occurred during the transfer of gas from a storage tank to a service tank when a hose detached, causing gas to leak.

An eyewitness in a video, Ekanem Essien, said, “We heard a loud explosion. We could not get the fire service in time,” he said.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Sunday Eitokpah, in a statement, said the leakage quickly escalated into a fire, leaving residents with little time to escape.

“Several residents sustained injuries, primarily burns, and those with serious cases have been taken to the Teaching Hospital for treatment,” he said.

Despite the scale of destruction in Calabar, the PPRO confirmed that no death was recorded, while injured victims were receiving treatment at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.