What started as a normal travel day quickly turned into a disaster when a fierce fire broke out on a busy Lagos-Ibadan highway, resulting in injuries and damage to property.
People are left to cope with their losses, and the impact of this incident will be felt for a long time.
Many people were reportedly injured while several vehicles and houses were burnt in a fire incident that occurred along the Ibafo area of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State in the early hours of Wednesday.
Lagos-Ibadan Tragedy
Reports say the fire, which was sparked by an overturned petrol tanker, wreaked havoc in the area, burning vehicles worth millions of Naira as well as homes and livestock.
The fire outbreak occurred when the tanker, loaded with petrol, overturned in front of a commercial bank on the Ibafo section of the expressway.
Witnesses told PUNCH that the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel, leading to a loss of control, the tanker’s fall and the subsequent explosion.
The petrol spill reportedly flowed through a drainage system, affecting a community about a kilometer away.
While it flowed, all that was left was a fire to kindle it.
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Eyewitness Reports
A witness identified as Wasiu, who reported attributed the incident to reckless driving was quoted as saying: “I saw the tanker swaying before it fell and spilled its contents into the drainage.
“It didn’t ignite right away, as some people began scooping the fuel.
“However, after a few minutes, a fire broke out from the other side of the expressway and quickly escalated.
“Four tipper trucks parked at the Osadol Fuel Station were destroyed, and the fire spread into the nearby community”.
Another resident of the area identified as Tunde Adewumi, said that many people in the area were asleep when the fire reached them.
Adewumi said: “It was a serious incident, but thankfully the drainage was there; otherwise, the damage would have been much worse.
“The fire injured about three people and damaged several buildings, particularly affecting those living near the drainage’s end”.
Confirming the incident, the Ogun State Police spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, said that the tanker driver was injured and had been taken to the hospital.
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