A petrol tanker conveying 33,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, went up in flames on Thursday after falling at Celica junction along the new Ife Expressway in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The incident, which caused panic among motorists and residents, occurred after the tanker reportedly lost its brakes while in motion.
According to eyewitnesses, the driver lost control of the vehicle, which hit a Prado jeep and another car before tipping over and exploding.
An eyewitness told newsmen, “The tanker was descending the road when it failed to brake. It hit a Prado and another car, then fell and caught fire. It was a terrifying moment, but thankfully, nobody died.”
The fire severely affected the involved vehicles, burning the car completely and damaging the Prado, which was pushed into a nearby gutter by the impact of the crash.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, said the agency received a distress call at exactly 6:27 p.m. on Thursday and promptly mobilised firefighters to the scene.
“Our men responded swiftly, applying chemical foam compound to contain the fire. We worked in coordination with the Federal Fire Service to prevent the fire from spreading to a nearby NNPC filling station and surrounding properties,” Akinwande said.
He added, “Though there were no casualties, the fire affected the tanker and one car. The Prado jeep was pushed into the gutter by the tanker during the crash.”
