Two burnt to death, eight injured as minibus overturns, explodes in Lagos

Two persons were burnt to death on Tuesday after a commercial minibus overturned and burst into flames along the Balogun inward corridor toward Mile 2 in the Okota area of Isolo, Lagos State.

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In a post on X on Tuesday, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said the yellow commercial minibus, popularly known as “Faka,” with registration number SMK 823 YK, was conveying nine passengers, including the driver, at the time of the crash.

According to the agency, preliminary findings indicate that the accident was triggered by an unidentified private vehicle that allegedly reversed abruptly on the main carriageway.

The sudden manoeuvre forced the minibus, said to be travelling at speed, to brake sharply, causing the driver to lose control. The vehicle overturned multiple times before igniting.

In a statement, LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, said investigations revealed that the driver was transporting a five-litre container of petrol inside the bus.

“The highly inflammable substance ignited immediately following the crash, resulting in a severe fire outbreak,” Mr Taofiq said.

“Tragically, the driver and a female passenger seated in the front burnt beyond recognition in the ensuing inferno.”

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He said LASTMA officials on routine patrol rescued eight injured passengers before the fire intensified and evacuated them to a nearby hospital.

Officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) later extinguished the blaze, while police officers from the Ilasa Division secured the scene and managed traffic.

Reacting to the incident, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

He warned motorists against reversing on highways, describing the practice as reckless and capable of causing fatal consequences.

Menace of fire-related crashes

Tuesday’s tragedy adds to a series of fire-related road incidents in Lagos involving vehicles transporting flammable substances.

In December, a 45,000-litre tanker conveying diesel lost control and overturned along the Epe–Ijebu-Ode Expressway, spilling its contents before going up in flames.

READ ALSO: Lagos govt announces partial closure of Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that four other vehicles were destroyed in the inferno, although no lives were lost.

Authorities have repeatedly cautioned motorists against unsafe driving practices and the improper transportation of petroleum products, warning that violations significantly increase the risk of fatal explosions on the state’s highways.