Fuel Tanker Overturns on Apapa Bridge as Lagos Residents Risk Lives Scooping Fuel

ByEditor

Jan 19, 2026 #Apapa Bridge, #diesel spill Lagos, #fuel scooping Lagos, #Lagos Fire Service, #Lagos tanker accident, #Lagos traffic news, #LASTMA, #tanker overturns Nigeria

Femi Ashekun/

A diesel tanker overturned on the Apapa Bridge in Lagos on Monday morning, spilling fuel onto the busy roadway and drawing crowds of residents who risked their lives scooping diesel from the scene.

The incident occurred at about 8.30am, causing traffic disruption and raising fears of a possible fire outbreak, given the flammable nature of the spilled fuel.

Videos and images shared widely on social media showed men and women approaching the fallen tanker with containers, despite the obvious danger, with no visible presence of law enforcement officials

Reports say officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, alongside personnel from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the police, later moved in to secure the area.

Traffic officers cordoned off the affected section of the bridge while emergency responders worked to contain and neutralise the spill.

According to traffic officials, the eventual but deleyed response helped prevent a fire and ensured that no lives were lost.

The affected lane was cleared and reopened to traffic at about 10.05am.

The incident triggered widespread reactions on X, where many users expressed shock that people would endanger themselves to collect fuel.

Several commentators recalled previous tanker explosions in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria, where similar actions had resulted in mass casualties.

Authorities again warned residents to stay away from accident scenes involving fuel tankers, stressing that diesel and petrol spills pose severe risks of explosion and long-term environmental damage.

The Apapa axis remains one of Lagos’s most congested corridors, frequently used by heavy-duty vehicles, and tanker accidents have continued to raise concerns about safety of motorists and pedestrians.

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