A Conoil Plc-owned tanker, carrying 35,000 liters of content, allegedly veered out of control on the National Stadium bridge in Surulere, Lagos. It collided with a Volkswagen Golf saloon car bearing the registration number KRD 810 EA, which had two individuals inside.

Two persons, including a pregnant woman, in the car, and a motorcyclist, sustained injuries in the process.

The truck was said to have taken off from Apapa, heading to discharge its content in Ikeja area, when it had a brake failure.

Eyewitnesses said as the driver struggled to control the tanker, it trapped the saloon car.

South West spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye , said “the injured pregnant woman was rushed to Randle hospital from the first crash, while the motorcyclist who had serious injury was admitted at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH. The injured woman’s husband has been contacted and he is with her”.

Explaining the action taken, the Director, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service , Adeseye Margaret, said the Ilupeju Fire Crew “is currently applying chemical foam compound to neutralise the potency of the fuel from causing secondary accidents. This was after salvaging two lives from the car involved in the accident while the tanker driver his assistant escaped unhurt.

“Stretches of the Western Avenue between Barracks and Stadium Bus Stops have been condoned and traffic diverted to alternative routes. The evacuation of the remains of the tanker/contents and car have been concluded in a bid to restore the road to normalcy and declare it open”, she stated.

Rescue operators from the Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Lagos State Transport Management Authority,LASTMA and Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps were on ground to salvage the situation.