What may be described as tragedy was averted by emergency responders on Tuesday in the Surulere area of Lagos State.

An articulated vehicle loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol, fell off while in motion on top of Stadium Bridge inward Barracks/Ojuelegba on Funsho Williams Avenue, Surulere, Lagos.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed this in a statement on Tuesday.

LASTMA Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, said the tanker with registration number T–22032EA) “fell on a Golf Volkswagen car (KRD 810 EA) and had its contents spreading over the other side of the expressway”.

To prevent another imminent fire explosion, Taofiq said other emergency responders particularly the LASTMA Response Unit (LRU) and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services quickly arrived at the scene.

Noting that Policemen from Area ‘C’ Police Division at the Barracks provided security backup at the scene with the @LagosRescue doing the needful, he said further that motorists coming towards Stadium Bridge inward Barracks/Ojuelegba on Funsho Williams Avenue diverted to ply the service lane and continued their journey.

“After arriving at the scene, our personnel immediately secured the environment against area boys including other members of the public who had already gathered with buckets/jerry cans with the intention of scooping spreading fuel on the road,” he stated.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the falling Coniol tanker loaded fuel at Apapa and was on its way to Ikeja before the truck developed a break failure on Stadium Bridge,

“Traffic Officer Olukoga Olajide who led LASTMA rescue operations to the scene confirmed that the driver of the falling Coniol tanker (Sefiyu Adamu) was arrested and handed over to Apapa and was on his way to Ikeja before the truck developed a brake failure on Stadium Bridge,” he stated.