Quick action by Oyo State firefighters on Thursday prevented a major fire disaster after a petrol tanker crashed and began leaking fuel in Onigari village along the Oyo/Ogbomoso expressway.
The tanker, which was carrying 45,000 litres of petrol, lost control while trying to avoid potholes and fell by the roadside around 12:20 pm.
A witness, Remi Olasunkanmi, said the driver was struggling to navigate the rough road when the accident happened.
He said, “The incident occurred when the driver was trying to manoeuvre the potholes. Immediate intervention and deployment of the fire service men saved the day, the petrol tanker would have gone in flame.”
The chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, confirmed the incident on Friday. He said the fire service received the alert at 12:34 pm and responded quickly.
According to him, firefighters met the IVECO trailer with registration number BKA 661 XA already on its side with petrol leaking from the tank. He added that the tanker’s cab had detached from the body during the crash.
“Our officers quickly took control of the situation by applying chemicals and safety measures to prevent fire or explosion,” Akinwande said.
He also confirmed that a team of SAFER highway patrol officers joined them at the scene to maintain order and provide security.
