A yet-to-be-identified truck driver narrowly escaped death on Saturday evening after a Mack truck carrying an empty 20-foot container was engulfed in flames along the Alausa Secretariat axis inward Otedola Bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The incident occurred shortly after a similar fatal explosion was recorded along the Lekki-Epe corridor, where a driver and his assistant reportedly lost their lives in a collision involving a trailer and a gas tanker.
Emergency responders, including officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, were quickly deployed to the scene and succeeded in containing the fire.
Eyewitness accounts indicated that the truck suddenly went up in flames while in motion, forcing the driver to bring the vehicle to a stop before escaping the inferno. He reportedly sustained minor injuries.
The swift intervention of emergency operatives helped prevent the fire from spreading further, averting what could have resulted in a more severe incident along the busy expressway.
Their coordinated response also ensured a rapid clearance of the affected route, restoring traffic flow and reducing disruption to commuters.
Reacting to the development, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, reiterated the agencyās commitment to protect lives and property on Lagos roads.
He advised motorists to prioritise regular maintenance checks on both mechanical and electrical components of their vehicles, stressing that negligence often contributes to avoidable road emergencies.
āLASTMA remains committed to its mandate of ensuring a safe, efficient, and well-regulated traffic system across Lagos State,ā he said.
Driver escapes death as truck catches fire near Otedola Bridge in Lagos
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