Tragedy occurred on Wednesday evening in Akure, the capital city of Ondo State as a petrol tanker carrying 33,000 litres of petrol fell at Shagari Village junction on Akure-Owo expressway, killing four people and a toddler.
The incident occurred few metres to an NNPC petrol station as the tanker spilled its content on the road and later caught fire, burning no fewer than seven vehicles.
Information from eyewitness revealed that a commercial bus and six private cars, as well as many motorcycles, two residential houses and many shops along the road were also affected.
According to an eyewitness, the victims, whose identities were yet to be identified as at press time, were occupants of the burnt vehicles who were trapped and burnt inside the affected vehicles without rescue.
“The tanker was on a high speed when a Toyota Corolla car suddenly crossed the road, as the tanker driver was trying to avoid hitting the car, he swerved off his lane and the vehicle fell on the car and caught fire immediately.”
The eyewitness added that the inferno had started several hours before the men of Ondo State Fire Service arrived the scene to put it out. He added that some men of the state police command and the men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) supported sympathizers to minimize the effects of the incident and casualties.
