Gridlock as Truck Catches Fire on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

A trailer loaded with cargo caught fire early Thursday at the Berger New Garage area along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, sparking severe traffic congestion on the inward-Lagos lane.

The trailer’s container, whose contents were still unknown at the time of reporting, ignited at approximately 5:50 a.m.

Emergency teams from the Lagos State Transport Management Authority, LASTMA, and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service promptly arrived to control the blaze.

In an official statement, LASTMA noted that the resulting traffic jam stretched beyond the Opic junction.

“A loaded containerised trailer caught fire at Berger New Garage, inward Secretariat.

“Our officers are on the ground managing traffic, and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue team is addressing the fire. The backlog extends past Opic turning,” the agency said.

In a related incident, Newspot reported that a vessel undergoing repairs at the Kirikiri Canal in Apapa caught fire on Wednesday, causing panic among nearby workers and residents and leaving one person seriously injured.

Eyewitnesses said the blaze started when sparks from welding operations ignited flammable materials on board, producing thick plumes of smoke that filled the area.

Similarly, passengers aboard a Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, vehicle escaped death on Tuesday after the bus was engulfed by fire while in motion on the Mile 12 Bridge along Ikorodu Road in Lagos.