A close shave with the Otedola bridge tanker explosion

The ear-busting bang on Otedola Bridge takes Kunle Ademola* by surprise. He is still clutching the steering wheel when he spots the inferno on the adjacent road. Panicking, Kunle grabs his phone and flees the car, his brother just behind him.

Another tanker carrying fuel had just fallen in flames.

It is common to see container-carrying trucks and fuel tankers moving in tandem with private and commercial vehicles on Nigerian roads. 

Most motorists despise these trucks and tankers; having heard stories of explosions or collapsing trucks, many people try their best to zoom past them. This is especially true in Lagos, where such vehicles are the leading cause of road accidents and traffic in the state.

On 28th July 2018, one of these tankers loaded with at least 30,000 litres of fuel exploded, engulfing a portion of the Otedola Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in flames. The explosion killed at