Petrol Tanker Falls, Burns In Edo

A petrol tanker caught fire last night at the Ogheghe Junction, Sapele Road, after falling due to a bad spot on the road.

In a video that circulated, a man was heard confirming that the incident happened at the Ogheghe junction by the bypass.

He noted that the tanker fell and caught fire as residents stayed away from the inferno.

When LEADERSHIP Sunday called the Edo State Fire Service’s operation room, a lady who simply gave her name as Faith, said the service had dispatched firefighting vehicles and personnel to the scene of the fire.

She, however, said that the gridlock and the unwillingness of motorists to create space for their vehicles caused them to arrive late at the scene of the fire.

She noted that they got the information about the incident at about 7pm and immediately sent their officers to the scene.

She said, “I can confirm that the incident happened. We were called about 7pm and we sent our officials and the firefighting equipment to the scene.

“It took them awhile to get there as motorists did not create a passage for the vehicle and get to the scene on time.

“This has been a major problem when it comes to getting to fire incident scenes. However, our people got there a little bit after 8pm.”

The Sapele Road, especially the Ogheghe axis, has become a death trap with big potholes impeding vehicular movement.