No fewer than 9 persons and 54 vehicles were confirmed burnt in a tanker fire in which many vehicles were trapped on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Thursday evening.

The incident which happened about 5.20 pm when traffic by the Berger Bridge has built up caused panic and traffic snarl in the neighbourhood and adjoining places.

“The accident occurred when the fuel tanker experienced brake failure,” spokesman of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Bisi Kazeem, said.

According to the Road Safety spokesman, “the affected vehicles comprised the fuel tanker, five buses, two trucks, one tricycle, and 45 cars.

“The registration numbers of the affected vehicles could not be ascertained, as all the vehicles were burnt.”

By press time Thursday, men of the  Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, FRSC, Police, NSCDC, LASTMA and Lagos State Fire Service and other volunteers were busy with rescue operations.

Cause of the tanker explosion could not be ascertained. Witnesses said they did not see the tanker collide with any vehicle in an accident.