A Petrol tanker conveying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) yesterday spilt its content on Sawmill bridge, Onipepeye area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital burning to people to death in the process.
According to eyewitnesses, the tanker driver lost control on the bridge. It was also alleged that the wear about and the identity of the driver i still unknown.
According to Olugbenga Fadeyi, the police spokes man who confirm the identity, said “Preliminary reports say two people were burnt beyond recognition, with four vehicle and two motorbikes also affected.”
It was also disclosed that the unidentified victims burnt to death were both male and female. According to eye withness, imediately the tanker fell down the driver and the conductor both came down to switch off the engine to call the fire service.
He said:
“It was the spilled fuel from the fallen tanker that caught fire from one pit under the Onipepeye bridge, and before we could say anything, we heard a big explosion,” said a source at the scene.The source who preferred anonymity continued, “It was so horrific, thick flames engulfed everywhere and in the process, two people were overwhelmed by the smoke and were subsequently caught in the fire as others scampered to safety.“We called the fire service personnel to come and rescue the situation before the fire started, but it took them more than 40 minutes before they arrived, and by the time they got here, the fire had already burnt two persons to death,” he added.Another account by Samuel Omotunde said the victims were inside their cars, trying to navigate their way to the main expressway when they were trapped under thick smoke and got burnt.
Mr. Isiaka Adeleke, The Assistant Director, Oyo State Fire Service, also said “We just heard that the tanker has fallen down and that petrol has spilt on the road, the driver of the Micra tried to manoeuvre the vehicle but was unlucky. The man and the woman jumped out of the vehicle but the fire later caught up with them.”