Newlywed couple loses life weeks after wedding in Otedola bridge gas tanker explosion
A newlywed couple Dozie and Joan Okoye has reportedly lost their lives in a devastating gas tanker explosion on the Otedola Bridge, located along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, just weeks after their wedding.
The couple, who had tied the knot on February 22, 2025, were caught in the blast that occurred on the evening of Tuesday, March 11, 2025.
Sources reveal that the Okoyes were heading home when their phone lines unexpectedly became unreachable.
In a desperate search for their whereabouts, family members scoured the Burns Center in Gbagada and the Yaba Mortuary, only to discover their charred remains later that evening.
The only piece of identification that confirmed their identities was their car’s registration number, which was found among the debris of burnt vehicles following the explosion.
The cause of the explosion, which took place at approximately 8:08 pm, has been traced to a 30-tonne tanker carrying gas products.
Authorities suspect the tanker, which was reportedly owned by a nearby gas station, may have been responsible for the catastrophic blast.
In addition to the fatalities, the explosion caused extensive damage to nearby structures. The De-Twist Dental Clinic was severely affected, while a generator house and security post of a nearby church building also sustained significant damage.
The explosion left four charred bodies in its wake, including that of Rotimi Adeleye, an auto mechanic who was reportedly caught in the blast.
