Fatal Petrol Tanker Fire in Ondo Claims Eight Lives, Including Pregnant Women and Children
According to the Ondo Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), eight individuals tragically lost their lives in a petrol tanker fire along the Benin-Ore-Sagamu Expressway on Sunday. An eyewitness confirmed that among the victims were two pregnant women and three children.
The casualty figure provided by the FRSC contradicts an earlier report that claimed 20 people had been burned to death in the incident.
On Monday, the Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr. Ezekiel Son’Allah, spoke about the incident and confirmed that the victims had been scooping fuel from the fallen tanker when the fire broke out. He stated that the accident was caused by a combination of the driver’s loss of concentration and a violation of speed limits.
“The driver and motor boy of the vehicle escaped unhurt, but tragically, the eight villagers who were scooping fuel suffered burns in the process. The deceased have been taken to the morgue at the General Hospital in Ore,” Son’Allah revealed.
Residents of the area who provided statements regarding the incident maintained that over 20 people, including two pregnant women and three children, died in the fire, while others sustained injuries.
Contradicting the earlier report, residents in the area have claimed that not all of the victims in the petrol tanker fire were involved in scooping fuel. Some of the victims were passersby, according to their testimonies.
Susan Jerry, a resident, confirmed that some individuals had gone to the scene of the incident to collect petrol. “More than 20 people were burned beyond recognition. Two pregnant women and three children were among those who perished,” Jerry disclosed.
Tijani Diekola, another resident, explained that the accident occurred when the tanker driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to veer into a ditch at around 4:30 pm on Sunday.
A witness, who was present at the scene of the tragic incident, has provided further details regarding the actions of the victims leading up to the petrol tanker fire. According to the witness, the individuals were engaged in the act of fuel scooping until the incident took place at approximately 6 pm.
In the aftermath of the incident, the witness discovered around 10 charred bodies early Monday morning. Additionally, the bodies of those in close proximity to the tanker were severely burned, to the extent that their identities could not be ascertained. Officials from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were responsible for collecting and packing the remains into a sack, the witness revealed.
The witness explained that the situation escalated when the fuel began to spill into a nearby stream in the community. Despite the hazardous circumstances, the residents persisted in collecting the fuel using buckets and kegs until the explosion eventually occurred.