A tanker loaded with 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) overturned at Isimi, Epe, Lagos State, on Thursday, September 17, 2026, spilling petrol onto the roadway, with no death or injury recorded.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed the incident in a statement signed by its Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu.
According to LASEMA, the tanker, with registration number T-18212LA, was attempting to manoeuvre past a stationary Ford pickup van marked KJA-13FJ when one of its rear tyres slipped into a pit, causing the tanker to overturn and fall onto the van. The pickup, which had developed a mechanical fault, was loaded with animal feed.
LASEMA said it received a distress call at 10:19 a.m. on September 17 and immediately activated its LRT Beta Whales Team stationed in Epe.
The agency said responders arrived to find the tanker laden with PMS and the pickup van involved in the incident. LASEMA subsequently activated its multi-agency incident management protocol involving the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps and the Nigeria Police Force.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service applied chemical foam to the overturned tanker and surrounding area to reduce the risk of fire, while the affected section of the road was temporarily closed to traffic.
LASEMA said the remaining PMS was successfully transferred from the damaged tanker into an empty tanker. The two vehicles were subsequently removed from the roadway and taken to Ketu Police Station, after which the road was reopened to traffic.
Oke-Osanyintolu commended the emergency responders for their swift and coordinated response, saying it averted what could have resulted in a major disaster. He urged motorists, particularly operators of tankers and other heavy-duty vehicles conveying combustible products, to ensure their vehicles are in good mechanical condition and exercise caution on Lagos roads.
The incident occurred less than two weeks after another 45,000-litre PMS tanker overturned on Ijako Road, inward Oke Oso, along the Ajah Expressway in Epe, on Friday, September 4, 2026.
LASEMA said the earlier accident occurred while the Mack tanker was climbing Ijako Hill after suffering a mechanical fault. Preliminary findings showed that its propeller detached from its joint, causing the vehicle to lose momentum and overturn. No death or injury was recorded in that incident either.
LASEMA advised members of the public to report emergencies and road incidents through the 767 and 112 toll-free emergency lines.
