Two Petrol Tankers Crash Within 24 Hours in Oyo State, Fire Service Averts Disaster

Two petroleum tankers conveying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) tumbled in separate incidents in Oyo State within the last 24 hours, sparking fears of fire outbreaks that were swiftly averted by emergency responders.

InfoStride News gathered that the accidents occurred on Wednesday in Ogbomoso and Oyo town.

The General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Service, Mr. Yemi Akinyinka, confirmed the incidents in a statement issued on Thursday.

According to Akinyinka, the first accident happened around 8:02 a.m. at the Oke-Baby area along the Ogbomoso-Ilorin Expressway, involving a DAF tanker with registration number JJN 529 XB, which was transporting 50,000 litres of PMS.

“Upon arrival, we discovered the tanker had lost control and veered off the road. Its contents were spilling rapidly.

Our firefighters immediately blanketed the area using a chemical foam compound to neutralize the flammability of the fuel and prevent any potential fire outbreak,” he said.

The second incident occurred in Oyo town at the Offa-Metta area, and was reported to the fire service at 7:40 a.m. the same day.

Akinyinka explained that the tanker, also a DAF vehicle, was carrying 40,000 litres of DPK when it lost control while in motion and swerved off the road, causing its contents to gush out.

Firefighters led by Assistant Chief Fire Superintendent (ACFS) Tijani promptly responded to the scene and applied chemical foam to blanket the spill and prevent ignition.

The fire service team also worked to disperse crowds that had gathered to scoop the spilled fuel, warning of the grave risks involved.

The State Fire Chief, CFS Adeduntan, and operatives of the Federal Fire Service were also present at the scene to ensure safety.

Authorities have reiterated warnings to motorists transporting flammable materials to adhere to safety protocols and to the public to avoid dangerous practices such as scooping spilled fuel.