A petrol tanker carrying 33,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) was engulfed in flames alongside two vehicles following a road accident on Thursday evening at Celica Junction along the Ife-Ibadan Expressway in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Akinyemi Akinyinka, confirmed the incident, stating that the emergency was reported via telephone at 6:27 p.m.
According to Akinyinka, a team of firefighters led by Assistant Chief Fire Superintendent Adeniyi Adesina was immediately deployed to the scene. Upon arrival, the fire had already consumed the tanker, a Toyota Prado Jeep, and another vehicle.
Firefighters quickly launched a response using chemical foam compounds to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to a nearby Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) filling station and surrounding buildings. The operation was successfully carried out in collaboration with personnel from the Federal Fire Service.
Akinyinka explained that the accident occurred after the petrol tanker experienced a brake failure while in motion, lost control, and collided with a Toyota Prado and another car before toppling and igniting a fire.
“No casualties were recorded, but the tanker and one vehicle were completely burned. The Prado Jeep was pushed into a gutter by the force of the impact,” he said. “Thanks to the swift response of the fire services, the NNPC station and nearby properties were spared.”
Dr. Maroof Akinwande, Senior Adviser on Fire Reform and Chairman of the Fire Services Reform Committee, assured the public that the fire had been fully extinguished and there was no further threat. He urged residents to go about their daily activities without fear.
