Images: Motorist and Aide Killed in Inferno as Gas Blast Wrecks Cars in Lagos

Saturday's early hours witnessed a devastating incident on the Lekki-Epe Expressway, specifically at the Tera Ahmeed Bus Stop in the Sangotedo area of Lagos, where a collision resulted in a massive explosion, claiming the lives of two individuals, a tipper driver and his assistant, both of whom were burnt beyond recognition, while numerous others sustained injuries.

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The accident occurred when the tipper driver, who was allegedly speeding recklessly, lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a stationary gas truck, triggering the explosion.

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The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the incident, which took place at approximately 2 am on Saturday.

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The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service quickly responded to the emergency, managing to bring the situation under control by extinguishing the fire.

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According to Margaret Adeseye, the Controller General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the agency received an alert about the accident at around 2:36 am, promptly deploying personnel from the Lekki Phase II, Oniru, and Epe II Fire Stations to the scene.

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The accident happened when a speeding 20-tonne tipper truck, traveling from Epe, collided with a stationary 30-tonne gas truck that had failed to pull over from the highway.

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The impact of the collision led to a fire that spread to three adjacent warehouses and 10 roadside shops, including a gym and a generator house, before being put out by emergency responders.

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A Total Petrol Filling Station, its fully loaded 33,000-litre PMS tanker, and several other properties were saved from the inferno.

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Despite the efforts of the responders, three Sienna bus cars, one Toyota Corolla car, and a forklift parked within the affected properties were completely burnt to ashes.

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Adeseye confirmed that the driver of the tipper-lorry and his assistant, both male adults, were recovered with severe burns, while the gas truck driver escaped unharmed.

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As of 11 am, efforts were still underway to remove the remains of both trucks from the road, with normalcy gradually returning to the accident scene.