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(Adds Lagos state government how)
By Angela Ukomadu and Alexis Akwagyiram
LAGOS, June 28 (Reuters) – An oil tanker truck caught fire in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos on Thursday, killing nine people and burning out 53 other vehicles, an emergency agency official said.
Video seen by Reuters showed ablaze and thick black smoke billowing across a wide stretch of road.
The accident happened on Lagos and the city of Ibadan, Lagos States Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) spokesman Adeshina Tiamiyu said. He said a distress call was received at around 05:33 (1633 GMT).
"Nine people are dead and injured in hospital," said Tiamiyu.
A spokesman for the Federal Road Safety Commission, Bisi Kazeem, said the crash occurred around Otedola bridge on the road section of Lagos.
He said the cause of the accident was brake failure. He added that the tanker, five nozzles, two trucks, a tricycle and 45 cars were burnt out.
"As a government, we would not relent in putting measures in place to ensure safety of lives and property of all residents," said Lagos state government spokesman Kehinde Bamigbetan in an emailed statement.
"We extend our deepest committment to the families of persons who have lost their lives to the incident." (Editing by Chijioke Ohuocha and Andrew Roche)
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