By Boluwatife Adedokun
A trailer carrying cargo caught fire early Thursday morning at Berger New Garage along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, triggering heavy traffic on the inward-Lagos lane.
The blaze, which engulfed the trailer’s container whose contents are yet to be confirmed, was reported around 5:50 a.m. Emergency responders from the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service quickly arrived at the scene to contain the fire.
LASTMA noted that traffic congestion caused by the incident extended past the Opic junction.
“A loaded containerised trailer caught fire at Berger New Garage, inward Secretariat. Our officers are on the ground managing traffic, and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue team is addressing the fire. The backlog extends past Opic turning,” the agency said in a statement.
This incident comes amid a series of recent fires in Lagos. On Wednesday, a vessel undergoing repairs at Kirikiri Canal in Apapa caught fire, leaving one person seriously injured. Eyewitnesses said sparks from welding operations ignited flammable materials on board, producing thick smoke that spread across the area.
Similarly, passengers narrowly escaped injury on Tuesday when a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) vehicle caught fire while in motion on Mile 12 Bridge along Ikorodu Road.
Authorities have urged motorists to exercise caution and follow traffic management directives to ease congestion in affected areas.
