By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Passengers aboard a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) vehicle narrowly escaped death on Saturday morning after the bus caught fire in the Maryland area of Lagos State.
Eyewitnesses reported that the bus had departed from Ikorodu and was heading to CMS when the incident occurred. According to accounts from the scene, the driver and conductor abandoned the bus and fled as the fire broke out.
Emergency responders, including personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), fire services, and local security teams, arrived promptly to contain the blaze and ensure public safety.
Commenting on the incident, LASTMA wrote on X: “There’s a burning TATA high capacity bus at Maryland inward Idiroko slowing down traffic backwards Ojota at the moment.
“Firefighters are on ground to put out the fire as LASTMA Officers manage the traffic accordingly. Once the inferno has been put out, evacuation will be effected.”
It later gave an update, saying: “The burnt vehicle has been cleared off the road. Good movement restored.”
A passenger recounted that the fire began with smoke coming from the driver’s side, initially dismissed as fumes from a nearby vehicle. “However, the slight smoke soon worsened, immediately sending us into panic mode,” she said.
Realising the danger, passengers scrambled to evacuate the bus just moments before it was engulfed in flames. Some sustained injuries during the frantic escape.
“The driver and the conductor ran away. They didn’t even wait to see what would happen to us,” the passenger added. “Definitely, they knew what happened. They knew the bus was bad before putting it on the road and risking our lives.”