Panic gripped residents and commuters in the Odinjo area of Ibadan on Tuesday following a fire outbreak involving a 33,000-litre petrol tanker. The incident occurred near Muslim Grammar School, along the Lagos-Ibadan highway, causing chaos as shop owners and residents fled the scene to avoid potential explosions.
According to eyewitness accounts, the tanker fell on its side while the driver was attempting to navigate through a bad portion of the road. Shortly after the fall, the vehicle caught fire, triggering fears of a major disaster.
“The truck skidded off the road while trying to avoid potholes and then fell. Before long, it was engulfed in flames,” a resident recounted.
Fortunately, there were no casualties, as confirmed by the Oyo State Fire Service. The quick intervention of the fire service personnel helped contain the inferno and prevented it from spreading to nearby homes and shops.
Speaking on the incident, the General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Service, Rev’d Akinyemi Akinyinka, confirmed the location and scale of the emergency.
“Our men were immediately deployed to Odinjo to arrest the situation. As of now, no life has been reported lost, and we are assessing the full extent of the damage,” he said.
The fire incident also caused a heavy traffic gridlock along the Ibadan axis of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. However, officers from the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and other security agencies were swiftly mobilised to manage the flow of vehicles and ensure public safety.
A combined team of firefighters, police, and road safety officials remains at the scene, as efforts continue to clear the wreckage and restore normalcy to the area.
