Petrol Tanker Explodes in Ondo

A petrol tanker delivering fuel has explodes at Optima filling station, along Awule road, at the back of ilesa garage, Akure, the Ondo state capital, destroying property worth millions of naira.

The resulting fire, which started around 3:55pm, razed down the underground tank, the administrative building.

However, no live was lost.

It was gathered that the manager of the filling station also escaped being attacked by the irate youths, who accused her of treating customers badly, she was rescued out of the scene.

Eye witnesses said the fire started when a petrol tanker was offloading its content into the station’s underground tank.

Mr Abiodun Adelekun who spoke on behalf of youths in the area said they had to come out en masse to ensure the fire was put out to prevent it from spreading to other buildings.

Adelekun said “the fire started when the tanker was offloading its content into the pit (sic). All we heard was a bang and we saw fire everywhere coming out of the tanker”.

“We came out to assist the fire fighters to save our houses. Having petrol stations in clustered areas is not the best. If not for the fire service today and the support of youth from this area, the fire would have escalated beyond control.

An elder who has a shop beside the filling station and identified himself as Asabari Elelubo said the loud noise he heard when fire started sent shivers down his spine.

“When I heard the loud noise, I nearly fainted. I had to first run to safety. The panic from the fire which caught my shop seven months ago is still in me and it made this more frightening.

“I am glad the fire service and the youth were able to contain it before it extended to surrounding houses” Asabari added.

The public relations officer of the Federal Fire Service, Ondo state command, Ayodele Ajulo, who attributed the fire to the heat in the underground tank advised filling station operators to be extremely careful while offloading fuel from tankers into their underground tanks, especially during this period of extreme heat.

Ajulo said “we always tell people to be extremely cautious during this period. The hot weather makes it easy for fire to erupt from anything inflammable.

“It is important for people, especially filling station operators, to take all necessary precautions and also have enough fire extinguishers around in case of any emergency”.