Pandemonium swept through Shagari Village, the Federal Housing Estate and its neighborhoods around the Onyearugbulem Market on Wednesday evening in Akure, Ondo State capital as a petrol tanker carrying 33,000 litres of diesel fell at the junction leading to the estate from the Akure-Owo expressway, burst into flames, killing four people and a toddler in the process.
The tanker spilled its content on the road, out of which fire sparked, extended outwards for several metres radius, gripped everything in sight and burnt no fewer than seven vehicles.
For several hours following the incident, huge balls of thick black smoke billowed from the explosion, spread and covered the environment, and across the sky, impairing vision.
It was a moment of great anxiety as residents of the esstate ran around in search of their loved ones. Women particularly whose husbands were yet to return, or whose loved ones were trapped outside the estate, whose whereabouts were unknown, or were feared to be caught in the tragedy when the incident occurred, were seen running around making desperate telephone calls, and making house to house physical checks.
The black Wednesday incident occurred few metres to an NNPC petrol station at the Shagari Estate road junction which directly faces the sprawling Onyearugbulem Market.
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.
With additional reports from The Guardian
