Nine lives have been confirmed dead and a total number of 54 vehicles burnt after a tanker carrying petrol crashed and exploded on Otedola Bridge in Lagos, Nigeria.

The tragedy occurred on Thursday as it is said that the vehicles burnt which most of them were minibuses were at the time of the incident travelling behind the tanker.

Emergency management workers were said to have been mobilised to the scene to rescue commuters trapped in the accident.

According to The Punch, some motorists who made a U-turn and attempted to flee the scene of the incident, crashed into other vehicles.

Lives were reportedly lost in the secondary accident that resulted from the confusion caused by the fallen tanker.

Meanwhile, the number deaths is expected to rise.