An unconfirmed number of persons have lost their lives in a tanker fire accident that occurred at midnight along the Abeokuta–Sagamu Expressway.
PUNCH Online learnt on Friday from the spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, that the fire began at about 1 am on Friday.
According to Akinbiyi, a petrol-laden 33,000-litre tanker overturned due to excessive speeding and spilled its contents on the highway.
He disclosed that the impact of the fall triggered a fire outbreak, which spread to other vehicles and electric poles.
Akinbiyi said, “The case of an inferno caused by a 30,000-litre fuel-laden tanker which fell on its side and spilled its contents around 0100hrs today, along the Abeokuta–Kobape–Siun–Sagamu Interchange stretch of the PMB Expressway, due to excessive speed and loss of control, has been reported.
“The effect of the unfortunate incident also extended to the burning of a truck and a tow vehicle along the roadside, as well as the destruction of a PHCN cable supplying electricity to Mowe and environs.
“Though the casualty figures cannot be ascertained presently, rescue and emergency services made up of TRACE, Ogun State and Nestlé PLC Fire Service, FRSC, and the Police are still on the ground to restore normalcy and orderliness after quenching the fire and carrying out the decantation process.”
