Officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) have rescued 17 passengers, including the driver, after a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered commercial bus exploded along the Lagos-bound section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
According to a statement signed by the Director of LASTMA’s Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, the incident occurred at Berger Bus Stop and involved a fully loaded Hiace bus with registration number EKY 798 YK, conveying 18 occupants from the Mowe-Ibafo axis towards Lagos.
The statement said the vehicle suddenly erupted into flames, triggering panic among passengers and other motorists on the busy expressway.
LASTMA personnel promptly mobilised to the scene and evacuated 17 occupants, including the driver, without injuries. However, one male passenger seated at the rear of the vehicle sustained severe burn injuries during the inferno.
The injured passenger was immediately evacuated and taken to the Lagos State Trauma and Emergency Centre, Toll Gate, for urgent medical attention.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service deployed firefighting equipment to extinguish the flames and prevent further escalation, while officers of the Ojodu Police Division maintained law and order and secured the scene.
Commending the response, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, applauded the agency’s personnel for their “courage, operational dexterity and prompt intervention”, which resulted in the rescue of 17 passengers.
Bakare-Oki said the incident underscored “the indispensable importance of rapid emergency response, effective inter-agency synergy and the deployment of adequately trained personnel in mitigating the potentially devastating consequences of road-related incidents.”
He further urged commercial transport operators, particularly those using CNG-powered vehicles, to “prioritise regular professional inspections, strict adherence to prescribed safety standards and comprehensive maintenance of their vehicles’ gas storage and delivery systems.”
