Nigeria: Hundreds Scoop Spilled Groundnut Oil After Tanker Crashed in Lagos

Hundreds of residents gathered to scoop spilled groundnut oil after a tanker carrying 33,000 litres overturned near Abiola Garden on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Wednesday.

The accident occurred inward Old Toll Gate, spilling the edible oil onto the road, obstructing the carriageway and disrupting traffic.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) warned residents, traders and food vendors against consuming or selling the recovered oil, saying it could be contaminated.

The agency expressed concern that some people were collecting the spilled oil from the road surface, drainage channels and other exposed locations.

LASTMA's General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, warned that contact with road debris, drainage effluents and other hazardous substances could make the oil unsafe for human consumption.

He urged residents, traders and food vendors to refrain from consuming or selling the recovered product to avoid potential health risks.

"Preliminary security reports attributed the accident to suspected brake failure," he said.

Bakare-Oki said LASTMA deployed its Rescue and Recovery Team, supported by two high-capacity tow vehicles, to evacuate the overturned tanker and restore traffic flow.

"Personnel were also positioned along the affected corridor to manage traffic and implement diversionary measures to ease congestion," he added.

Other agencies involved in the response included the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency.

Read the original article on Daily Trust.