A tanker loaded with premium motor spirit (PMS) fell and exploded along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in the early hours of Wednesday, igniting a blaze that destroyed several vehicles and damaged nearby properties in the Ibafo area of Obafemi Owode local government area in Ogun State.
Eyewitnesses at the scene reported that the tanker’s driver allegedly dozed off behind the wheel, leading to a loss of control of the articulated vehicle. This resulted in the tanker overturning and spilling its contents, which subsequently caught fire.
Babatunde Akinbiyi, Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), confirmed the incident in Abeokuta, the state capital, stating, “No life was lost in the incident.” However, he noted that the fire spread rapidly, fueled by the spilled petrol, which reached vehicles parked at a nearby filling station before engulfing them in flames.”
Firefighters from the Ogun State Fire Service arrived at the scene to combat the blaze. Despite their efforts, several vehicles were already consumed by the inferno.
Residents also reported that the petrol had seeped into the drainage system around, reaching a nearby community about a kilometer away, where it caused significant property damage. Several buildings sustained shattered windows, cracked walls, and damaged roofs, and a number of people suffered various injuries.
LEADERSHIP reports similar incident in Jigawa State where the Police Command confirmed the death of over 95 persons while 50 others were seriously injured while scooping petrol from a fallen tanker at Majiya village of Taura local government area of the state in the late hours of Tuesday.
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