Matthew Onocheta
IBADAN – A fuel-laden tanker truck has exploded, killing its driver and injuring one other person in Nigeria’s southwestern city of Ibadan, fire department said on Wednesday.
This comes barely 1 week after at least 86 people were killed in the north-central state of Niger when a fuel tanker that had overturned burst into flames, burning those who had rushed to collect the gasoline. The price of gasoline has increased fivefold in 18 months, leading many to risk their lives to recover fuel during tanker truck accidents which authorities say are common in Nigeria.
In the latest incident in Ibadan, the tanker truck lost control, rammed into two other trucks, and somersaulted into a nearby pit before bursting into fire, the Oyo State Fire Services Agency said in a statement.
The agency’s general manager, Yemi Akinyinka, said the incident resulted in the death of the tanker driver and injured the motor boy.
“The incident happened around Fijabi House, Agbowo, and Ojoo/Iwo Road Expressway. The agency received a distress call about the fire incident at exactly 2:45 a.m. through a telephone call,” Akinyinka said.
“The service swiftly deployed personnel to the scene and curtailed the fire from spreading to the nearby residential area. On arrival, we met three trucks of 20-metre distance from one another involved in the fire incident.
“The driver was burnt to death while the motor boy was rescued alive and taken to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, for treatment,” he said.
Mr Akinyinka said the explosion destroyed the tanker while the agency’s personnel rescued the other two trucks.
“The agency’s director of operations, Ismail Adeleke with team members, the police, and some other security agencies were at the scene to prevent a breakdown of law and order.”
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