Two lives were lost late Friday night and residents thrown into pandemonium due to a fire outbreak from a fuel-laden truck at the Ijesha end of the Cele Link Bridge in the Surulere area of Lagos State.

An eyewitness and a motorist simply identified as Efe, narrated that the inferno occurred when the driver of the truck transporting 33,000 litres of petrol lost control and spilled its contents while navigating the roundabout to ascend the bridge.

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service corroborated the report in a post on its verified X handle (formerly Twitter).

According to the post, “The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service swiftly responded to a distress call late Friday night, effectively extinguishing a significant blaze resulting from a tanker accident at the Ijesha end of the Cele link-bridge in Surulere, Lagos.”

The Director of the agency, Margaret Adeseye confirmed the tragic incident, disclosing that the swift response by its officials aided in curtailing the inferno and preventing further escalation in the vicinity.

She noted that at approximately 11:12pm, emergency services were alerted to a tanker truck transporting 33,000 litres of petrol, losing control while navigating the roundabout to ascend the bridge.

Adeseye said, “The subsequent spillage ignited into a large fire, engulfing the surrounding area. Prompt action by the Isolo and Bolade Fire Stations of the agency contained the inferno, preventing further escalation.

“Regrettably, two individuals were discovered deceased, their bodies tragically burnt beyond recognition.

“The remains were respectfully handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for necessary procedures,” Adeseye said.

She also added that the Lagos State Ambulance Service provided vital assistance throughout the operation.