Petrol tanker kills one in Ijebu-Ode

A tanker loaded with fuel exploded on the Erunwon highway in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state, killing one person and injuring two persons. A witness, who identified himself as Adenuga Abayomi, said that the tanker, which was coming from Erunwon, fell when it was trying to negotiate a roundabout. Abayomi explained that when the tanker fell, the petrol inside it poured out trapping the driver and two other passengers.

“ When the tanker fell, we tried to rescue those trapped inside, but we were able to rescue two while we could not rescue the third person who is a motor boy before the tanker exploded. The explosion would have been prevented if a pick up van which we asked to stop obeyed us. It was the emission from the pick up that sparked off the explosion,’’ he said.

Mr Issa Seidu, the Ijebu-Ode Unit commander of FRSC, said the accident was caused by brake failure of the tanker. Seidu said the explosion was as a result of the smoke emission from other vehicles plying the other side of the road. “ The explosion was a clear case of brake failure of the tanker. It was the smoke emission from other vehicles that sparked off the fire on the road,’’ he said.