Apapa, Lagos — January 19, 2026: A large crowd of residents, commuters and passersby swarmed beneath the Tincan Liverpool (flyover) Bridge in Apapa early Monday after a fuel-laden tanker overturned, spilling its contents onto the roadway. Dramatic videos circulating on social media show people with jerrycans, buckets and containers scrambling to collect the leaking petrol/diesel directly from the spill site.
Eyewitnesses reported the tanker toppled over during the morning rush hour, with its contents gushing out and spreading across the road beneath the bridge. Despite obvious hazards, scores of people positioned themselves under the compromised structure to get as much fuel as possible before officials could fully secure the area.
Officials from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and other emergency services rushed to the scene to divert traffic and avert a potential disaster, given the extreme fire and explosion risk posed by open fuel on a busy roadway.
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According to the statement from LASTMA, traffic has been diverted away from the affected span while responders work to neutralise the spill and stabilise the tanker. As of the latest reports, there have been no confirmed explosions or fire outbreaks, though the chaotic scene of people gathering fuel continues to draw safety concerns.
TVC News footage confirms the panic and rush as authorities try to control the situation. No official casualty figures or injuries have been released yet, and further statements from Lagos State officials are expected as emergency containment efforts continue.
Authorities have repeatedly warned that such actions — collecting spilled petrol from overturned tankers — can easily lead to catastrophic fires or explosions, echoing similar tragic events in Nigeria’s past.