Mercy Emmanuel, a mother of four who sustained severe burns in a tanker fire along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, has passed away. The incident occurred last Wednesday when a petrol tanker overturned and exploded, causing widespread destruction.
In addition, a nursing mother who was trying to rescue her children from the flames has been hospitalized with serious injuries.
The fire started when the tanker overturned near a commercial bank on the Ibafo section of the highway. Eyewitnesses suggested that the driver might have fallen asleep, leading to the crash and subsequent explosion. The resulting petrol spill flowed through drainage channels into a nearby community, where homes were damaged by the fire’s impact, leaving broken windows and cracked walls.
Ismail Emmanuel, Mercy’s husband, recounted the tragic events, explaining that his wife got caught in the fire while trying to escape. She fell into a drainage area already engulfed in flames. Despite efforts to save her, financial difficulties prevented timely medical treatment, and she eventually passed away.
Another victim, identified by a local resident, was severely burned while attempting to rescue her children. She is currently receiving treatment, and her family has not yet returned to their home, which was damaged in the blaze.
Several other victims of the fire have called on the government for assistance, having lost their vehicles and homes in the incident. The governor expressed his condolences to the affected families and urged tanker drivers to exercise more cautionon the roads.