A driver and a female passenger have been confirmed dead by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) after a tanker explosion along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway in the state.
As gathered, the explosion occurred after the tanker laden with diesel overturned around the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), formerly AOCOED, while manoeuvring the school axis to arrive Agbara less than the approved hour.
Eyewitnesses narrated that the deceased tanker driver, who was driving at high speed, lost control of the vehicle while attempting to overtake another road user on Thursday.
They added that the inability of the driver to manage the speed resulted in the vehicle overturning and erupting into a raging inferno, tragically trapping the driver and a female adult occupant.
The LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, who confirmed the sad development, described the incident as an avoidable act, reaffirming the Authority’s steadfast commitment to road safety and the sanctity of human life.
Bakare-Oki, in a statement made available to newsmen by the LASTMA spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, further underscored the urgent necessity for tanker and articulated vehicle drivers to exercise heightened caution, observe prescribed speed limits, and comply strictly with all traffic regulations.
He noted that reckless driving and speeding remain dominant factors in fatal road traffic crashes across the metropolis.
The LASTMA boss, meanwhile, cautioned members of the public against the dangerous and irresponsible practice of scooping petroleum/Diesel products from accident scenes, emphasizing that such conduct poses grave and far-reaching risks to both individuals and the general public.
