A petrol tanker on Thursday exploded while transferring petrol into the reservoir of Fortunate Petrol Filling Station in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.
Spokesman of the state fire service, Hassan Adekunle, confirmed the incident adding that investigation revealed that the tanker, having travelled a considerable distance, became excessively hot, leading to the ignition
It was learnt that the quick response of the state fire service saved the filling station from a major fire disaster.
The fire incident occurred at about 19:44 hours, at the filling station located opposite Government Secondary School, Maraba, on Old Jebba Road, Ilorin.
The 45,000-litre petrol tanker, with registration number PTG 534 XA, was attempting to transfer PMS into the station’s reservoir.
Within 10 minutes, the firefighters successfully brought the inferno under control and extinguished it.
Speaking on the incident, Adekunle said that “investigation revealed that the tanker, having travelled a considerable distance, became excessively hot, leading to the ignition of spilled petrol during the transfer to the filling station’s underground reservoir.”
At the scene was Hon. AbdulRazaq Jiddah, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State, lauding the firefighters for their bravery and rapid response in preventing further damage to the filling station and nearby structures.
Director, Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John Olumuyiwa, called on the general public to always play safe, especially during this period.
