Kwara State fire service has averted a major fire disaster which could have occurred from a fuel tanker spill at Sabo market, Orile Igbon, along Ogbomoso highway in Oyo State.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, at about 20:27 hours, in the town located close to Kwara State boundary.
The Kwara State fire service had responded swiftly to a distress call reporting a fuel tanker spill at Sabo market, Orile Igbon, along the Ogbomoso Expressway in Oyo State.
According to reports, the fuel tanker, carrying 33,000 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, had suffered a tire burst, resulting in a spill and subsequent fire outbreak.
The spokesman of the Kwara fire service, Hassan Adekunle, said in a statement in Ilorin on Wednesday that “upon arrival, our dedicated firefighters immediately initiated mitigation efforts to contain the situation and prevent further escalation.
Through their swift and coordinated response, over 10,000 liters of PMS were safely siphoned into another tanker, minimizing potential hazards. Fortunately, no lives were lost, and no injuries were reported.
During our investigation, it was confirmed that the incident was triggered by a tire burst, which led to the tanker spill and the resulting fire.
Prior to our arrival, the Oyo State Fire Service, Ogbomoso branch, had already responded to the emergency.
However, it is deeply concerning that their personnel were violently attacked with stones, leading to severe damage to their fire truck, including a shattered windscreen. In the face of this hostility, they were forced to seek refuge at Owode Police Station,” he lamented.
In a reaction, the Director of the Kwara state fire service strongly condemned such attacks on firefighters and urged the public to desist from obstructing emergency responders.
He warned that any individual found guilty of assaulting fire service personnel would face the full weight of the law as firefighters risked their lives to protect people and property, hence, any act of violence against them was unacceptable.
