Panic as fire wreaks havoc in Ogun community

Fuel tanker fire caused a fire early on Wednesday morning in the Ibafo axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Motorway, destroying cars valued at millions of naira along with homes and animals and sending locals into a panic.

A number of others also suffered injuries of differing severity.

Visitors to the scene speculated that the fire started when the gasoline-filled tanker flipped in front of a commercial bank situated on the Ibafo stretch of the motorway.

According to eyewitnesses, the truck's driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel and lost control, which ultimately caused the tanker to crash and explode.

The gasoline spill, according to our correspondent, went down a drainage system and into a hamlet located approximately a kilometre away from the highway.

It was clear how the fire had affected the buildings because several of them had cracked walls, broken windows, and damaged roofs.

An eyewitness identified as Wasiu told our correspondent that the event was caused by the tanker driver's careless driving.

"What I saw was that the tanker was swaying before it fell and spilt its contents into the drainage," the man said in his explanation. It took a while to catch fire because several thugs had begun raking the gasoline.

But a few minutes later, there was an increase in fire that originated on the other side of the motorway. On the grounds of Osadol Fuel Station, four tipper trucks were destroyed. I also learned that the fire extended into the community close to the expressway.”
Tunde Adewumi, a resident of the impacted village, observed that the fire spread quickly since most people were asleep when it did.

Although the tragedy was bad, he expressed gratitude that drainage had been built since otherwise, the damage would have been considerably greater. Three persons were hurt by the fire, and several buildings were damaged. The majority of those impacted were locals who lived near to the drainage construction's finish.

The tanker driver was brought to the hospital after receiving injuries, according to Omolola Odutola, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, who confirmed the occurrence over the phone with our correspondent.

"A Fiat truck was engaged in the incident, but the driver's identity and residence are now unknown. The driver lost control of the vehicle and struck the curb by the side of the road, causing the accident. The vehicle, which was probably carrying petrol, toppled over and caught fire. The truck eventually caught fire and was completely destroyed.

Two trucks that were parked outside the Osadol Petrol Station were also damaged by the fire. The fire department was called to the scene, but while they were waiting, members of the public and law enforcement officials were able to contain the fire. For medical attention, the truck driver has been brought to the Real Divine Touch Hospital in Ibafo, according to Odutola.