Five persons have been reported dead, while many people sustained varying degrees of injuries after a fully loaded petrol tanker fell and caught fire in the Moro local government area of Kwara State over the weekend.
The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the incident occurred when the tanker toppled over and emptied its inflammable content on the road.
According to an eyewitness, some of the spilt petroleum product flowed into a roadside drainage and was later ignited by residents who were cooking outside.
“Two children who went to fetch water were badly burnt. One lost their life during the incident, while the other is currently fighting for their life in a hospital. A man defecating in the bush was also caught in the inferno, and around three individuals attempting to scoop the spilt fuel were engulfed by the fire and burned to ashes. We only discovered their charred remains the following day. So far, we have recorded about five deaths and seven injuries,” the witness stated.
The report also mentioned that some of the injured victims were initially rushed to the hospital and later succumbed to their injuries, while others were transferred to the UITH (University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital) due to the severity of their burns.
Hassan Hakeem Adekunle, the Kwara State Fire Service spokesperson, confirmed the incident on Sunday. He indicated that the Jebba Paper Mill Fire Service managed the fire.
“Several individuals sustained injuries, and some victims subsequently died in the hospital. However, I cannot provide an exact number of casualties at this time,” he stated.
