Tanker Explosion: Residents assault firefighters for hindering scooping of fuel
Story by Dajen Comfort Yakubu
Some residents of Sabo Market, Orile Igbon, along the Ogbomoso-Ilorin expressway in Oyo State on Wednesday night allegedly attacked firefighters for preventing them from siphoning fuel from a fallen petrol-laden tanker.
The tanker, carrying 33,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), had suffered a tyre burst, resulting in a spillage and subsequent fire outbreak.
It was also learnt that the officers of the Oyo State Fire Service, Ogbomoso branch, had responded to the emergency before the arrival of their colleagues from the Kwara State Fire Service, due to closeness to the scene of the incident.
Speaking on the incident, the Head of media and Publicity of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, on behalf of the director of the service, lamented that it was, “deeply concerning that their personnel from Oyo were violently attacked with stones, leading to severe damage to their fire truck, including a shattered windscreen.”
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“In the face of this hostility, they were forced to seek refuge at Owode Police Station”, Adekunle added.
He said upon arrival, firefighters immediately initiated mitigation efforts to contain the situation and prevent further escalation.
“Through their swift and coordinated response, over 10,000 litres of PMS were safely siphoned into another tanker, minimising potential hazards. Fortunately, no lives were lost.
“Any individual found guilty of assaulting fire service personnel will face the full weight of the law, firefighters risk their lives to protect people and property, and any act of violence against them is unacceptable,” he said.
Recurrent tanker explosions
This incident is coming shortly after tanker explosions killed many people in Niger, Enugu and Jigawa states.
Other victims of the accident are currently receiving treatment for severe burns while several houses and shops were destroyed in the inferno.
Mourning the victims, President Bola Tinubu directed relevant security and road safety authorities to take action to prevent the recurrence of such incidents nationwide. He also tasked the National Orientation Agency (NOA) with sensitising the public about the dangers of scooping fuel from fallen tankers.
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