By Oluwatosin Maliki
A devastating incident occured in the Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State after a tanker overturned, spilled petrol and caught fire. This unfortunate event resulted in the loss of at least five lives, with numerous others suffering injuries.
According to reports, the incident occurred when the tanker fell over and emptied its content in a gutter along the road.
An eyewitness who reportedly narrated the incident explained that, “After the petrol tanker fell, some of the product found its way into the gutter and was ignited as it flowed along by a fire from some residents cooking outside.”
Furthermore, “Two children that went to fetch water were torched along the way, killing one in the process. The second is still battling for life in the hospital”.
Also, “A man who went to defecate in a nearby bush was burnt in the process and about three people who were still scooping the product when the fire returned through the gutter path were burnt to ashes”.
He added, “It was the next day that we discovered their charred bodies. But we have about five deaths while around seven people have been injured so far”.
Additionally, an anonymous source, said that some of the victims who were immediately rushed to the hospital, later died while others were transferred to UITH in Ilorin because of the severity of their burns.
Hassan Hakeem Adekunle, the spokesman of the Kwara Fire Service, confirmed the incident on Sunday.
He noted that the fire was contained by the fire service of the Jebba Paper Mill, while adding that several other people were injured while some victims later died at the hospital.
“But I cannot put a figure to the casualties now,” the spokesman added.