4 days ago
Nigeria: Petrol tanker catches fire in Oyo
A petrol tanker laden with 33,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, caught fire at Celica Junction in the Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Fortunately, no lives were lost in the incident, although it caused heavy gridlock along the Ibadan-Ife highway.
Eyewitnesses attributed the accident to brake failure, which caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle
'The truck, which fell on its side, spilled its contents, leading to a fire outbreak,' one witness explained.
Another source said, 'The tanker hit a Prado Jeep and another car. In the process, it fell and exploded. Although no casualties were recorded, the fire damaged both vehicles.'
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, said in a statement: 'The incident was reported at exactly 18:27hrs on Thursday.
'Our firemen responded swiftly, applying chemical foam compound to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to the nearby Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) petrol station and surrounding properties.
'The fire was eventually extinguished with the support of officers from the Federal Fire Service.'
Akinwande added, 'The fire resulted from a brake system failure, which caused the truck to lose control, collide with a Prado Jeep and another car, and then overturn and catch fire.
'While no casualties were recorded, the trailer tanker and a car were affected, and the Jeep was pushed into a nearby gutter.'
