The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, has contained a tanker accident involving a truck loaded with 45,000 liters of Premium Motor Spirit on Ijako Road, towards Oke Oso hinterland, along Ajah Expressway in Epe.
The accident occurred on Friday when a Mack tanker truck reportedly overturned while climbing Ijako Hill due to mechanical failure.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the agency received an emergency alert at 11:32 am and quickly deployed its whale team from the Epe base to the site.
The equipment arrived four minutes after being dispatched.
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Oke-Osanyintolu said initial findings indicated that the propeller of the tanker detached from its joint while the vehicle was ascending the hill, causing a loss of momentum and causing the truck to overturn.
He added that one of the tanker compartments had a fuel leak, prompting emergency personnel to immediately begin containment and security operations.
“No deaths or injuries were reported. Prior to the arrival of LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, at Oke Oso station, had commenced containment measures to prevent fires and environmental hazards,” the statement said.
The emergency agency said the operation was being managed through the Incident Command System, with several agencies deployed to the scene to prevent the incident from escalating.
Among those involved in the response were LASEMA, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corps and representatives of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers.
LASEMA explained that the coordinated response was necessary to secure the area, protect motorists and prevent possible secondary incidents.
“The operation is being coordinated under the Incident Command System with full multi-agency collaboration,” the agency said.
He added: “Traffic has been managed effectively to ensure the safety of motorists while preventing secondary incidents.”
As part of efforts to safely resolve the situation, LASEMA said an empty tanker truck had been deployed to transfer petroleum product from the overturned vehicle before recovery operations could continue.
“An empty tanker has been mobilized for safe transshipment of the product, after which recovery of the downed truck will begin,” he said.
Oke-Osanyintolu commended the emergency services for their quick intervention and professional handling of the incident.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Lagos State Government to safeguard lives and property through proactive disaster risk management and adoption of internationally recognized emergency response standards.
The LASEMA permanent secretary also urged motorists to cooperate with traffic officials and stay away from the affected section of the road to allow rescuers to carry out their tasks without hindrance.
“Motorists are advised to cooperate with traffic officials and avoid the immediate area to allow for unimpeded operations,” the agency said.
LASEMA said additional information will be released as the emergency operation progresses.
The agency also urged residents to contact their toll-free emergency numbers, 112 or 767, whenever emergencies occur.