Tanker Explosion: Unconfirmed deaths, vehicles burnt, in Abeokuta-Sagamu Expressway

A devastating tanker fire accident occured at midnight on Friday on the Abeokuta -Sagamu Expressway, resulting in destruction of properties and unconfirmed number of fatalities.

In a statement issued on Friday in Abeokuta, the spokesperson of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the incident.

Akinbiyi said the accident occured at 1:00 a.m. on the Abeokuta–Kobape–Siun–Sagamu Interchange axis of the Expressway.
He explained that the accident occurred when a 33,000-litre petrol tanker overturned as a result of excessive speeding and spilled its content on the road, leading to an inferno.

“The case of an inferno caused by a 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 parked by the roadside, as well as the destruction of a PHCN cable supplying electricity to Mowe and its environs,’’ he said.

Akinbiyi noted that the casualty figure could not be ascertained at the time of this report.

He said that joint rescue teams from TRACE, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ogun State Fire Service, Nestlé Fire Service, the Police, Amotekun Corps and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were on ground to put out the fire and begin the decantation process.

According to him, emergency and rescue workers are still at the scene to restore normalcy and ensure free flow of traffic.

He appealed to road users to remain calm and obey traffic diversions and rerouting measures put in place by security and rescue operatives.

“However, any inconveniences as a result of this unfortunate incident are highly regretted,” Akinbiyi added.