Hundreds of motorists and commuters on Wednesday wasted hours in gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway following an accident involving two tankers at Ibafo in Ogun.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the tankers, loaded with diesel, fell and caused heavy traffic on the ever-busy road.
The standstill from the scene of the accident reached Kara bridge inward Berger in Lagos State at 2:00p.m.
The gridlock was compounded by road diversion by the Berger Construction Company to allow reconstruction of the expressway from Kara Bridge inward Berger.
Many vehicles were seen leaving the main road for the sides to beat the gridlock.
Many drivers and commuters were also seen alighting from their vehicles, complaining and trekking down to the scene of the accident.
Some of the motorists and commuters, who spoke to NAN, said that they had spent hours in the gridlock.
A personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps, who preferred anonymity, told NAN that traffic was moving well before the accident.
He said that the FRSC and other relevant agencies had removed one of the tankers and were working to evacuate the other.
“Traffic has been moving since morning until two trucks fell. We have removed one to the roadside and about to evacuate the second one.
“The traffic will soon be moving,’’ he told NAN.
NAN reports that residents of Ibafo were seen scooping diesel at the scene.
Before NAN correspondent got to the scene of the accident, a tow truck had pushed one of the tankers to a side of the road and had started towing the other one away under the watch of the police and FRSC personnel.