A massive fire erupted on Wednesday evening at Optima Filling Station in the Obawole area of Fagba, Lagos, after an explosion involving a petroleum tanker.
The incident occurred around 5:00 p.m. as a 33,000-litre tanker was offloading Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at the station on Bola Ahmed Tinubu Road.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service reported the fire started during offloading and spread rapidly to a second tanker nearby.
The blaze destroyed the initial tanker, the station’s retail marts, a one-storey residential building behind the station, and an adjacent structure on a nearby street.
No casualties were reported in this Lagos incident.
Firefighters from Agege and Ikeja stations, supported by reinforcements from Alausa headquarters, contained the fire and prevented further damage.
The filling station is owned by two members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).
Earlier the same day, a separate tanker explosion occurred near the NASFAT axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, injuring two people and causing severe traffic congestion.
The explosion followed the fall of a petroleum-laden tanker, which affected six vehicles, including four trucks, a commercial bus, and a Toyota Camry.
Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi, spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), confirmed the injured were taken to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital in Shagamu.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) also responded quickly. Sector spokesperson Florence Okpe said the blast occurred on the outbound Lagos lane, forcing traffic diversions through Christ Embassy Camp.
Emergency agencies including TRACE, FRSC, the police, and fire service remained on site to manage the aftermath and restore order.
