Barely 24 hours after a fuel tanker explosion claimed over 100 lives in Jigawa State, another tanker loaded with premium motor spirit (petrol) fell and exploded along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in the early hours of Wednesday [today].
The explosion ignited an inferno that destroyed several vehicles and damaged nearby properties in Ibafo area of Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Eyewitnesses at the scene reported that the tanker driver dozed off behind the wheel, leading to a loss of control of the articulated vehicle, and resulting in the tanker overturning and spilling its contents, which subsequently caught fire.
Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the incident in Abeokuta, the state capital, stating, “No life was lost in the incident.”
He, however, noted that the fire spread rapidly, fueled by the spilled petrol, which reached vehicles parked at a nearby filling station, 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.
