Breaking news - Tanker explodes near Ijebu-Ode, kills one, injures two

At least, one person has been killed while two others sustained various degrees of injury when a petrol tanker fell and exploded along the Eruwon Highway near Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State just yesterday.

It was gathered that the tanker which was coming from Eruwon while trying to navigate through  a roundabout fell, trapping the driver and its two other occupants.

According to an eye witness who described the accident as unfortunate said, “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 said  to be a motor boy before the tanker exploded”.

He added that,”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.”

Confirming the incident,Mr.Issa Seidu, Ijebu-Ode Unit commander of FRSC, said the accident was caused by brake failure, adding that the explosion could have been avoided if not for the smoke emission from other vehicles plying the other side of the road.

The Ijebu-Ode Zonal Commander of the state Traffic Compliance Enforcement
(TRACE),Hamzat Tommy, gave the tanker’s number plate as XC 577 WWW and confirmed that the body of the only victim had been deposited at the General Hospital mortuary in Ijebu-Ode.

The Ogun State Deputy Speaker, Tola Banjo, who visited the scene said,”It is an unfortunate incident but at the same time would have been prevented. It would have been averted if not for the careless attitude of other drivers whose vehicle emissions sparked off the fire.”