There was pandemonium on Joel Ogunnaike Street, off Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, on Friday after a private vehicle exploded, sending thick smoke into the sky and forcing passersby to flee for safety.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as an elderly woman, and her passenger immediately jumped out after noticing flames coming from the car and were joined by passersby and other road users who attempted to put out the fire, which reportedly started around 6:15 p.m. along the road near the Ikeja Country Club.
An eyewitness said the fire was first noticed by a delivery rider while the vehicle owner was attempting to make a turn to continue her journey from Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way.
According to the witness, the driver initially ignored the delivery rider’s warning, believing he was not being truthful, but minutes later smoke was seen emitting from beneath the vehicle.
“She was in the car with her son and was trying to turn back toward Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way after passing Eko Hospital. As they got close to the Country Club, the fire started. Before they turned, a delivery rider noticed flames coming from the vehicle and alerted them, but they did not believe him,” the source said.
Providing more details, the witness added that a Chinese national, who stopped his own vehicle after noticing the fire, alongside people from nearby restaurants and a health facility, brought fire extinguishers in an attempt to contain the blaze, but all efforts proved unsuccessful.
According to the witness, about 14 industrial fire extinguishers were used by individuals at the scene as the fire continued to intensify before officials of the Lagos State Fire Service and operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) arrived.
The source said the vehicle had already been severely damaged by the time emergency responders arrived to put out the fire, which reportedly started as a small flame before escalating into large bursts, allegedly due to the delayed arrival of firefighters.
The eyewitness further disclosed that after the fire was eventually extinguished, some people at the scene criticised the emergency responders, saying their intervention came too late as the vehicle had already been destroyed by the blaze.
Meanwhile, the source confirmed that both the driver and her passenger were unharmed, as neither sustained burns, and no surrounding vehicles were affected during the incident.
“The woman was crying bitterly, and people were consoling her, telling her to be thankful that she survived the inferno,” the witness added.
As of the time of filing this report, no official statement had been released by the relevant authorities regarding the cause of the fire.
