Residents of Ido Ekiti in Ido /Osi local government were on Thursday thrown into a state of confusion after a petrol tanker went up in flames and injured four persons .
Motorbikes belonging to commercial motorcyclists parked around the place were burnt down in the inferno, caused by the spilled fuel from the truck.
Blueprint gathered that the intensity of the fire caused panic in the town as those living around the spot were said to have evacuated their property in preparedness for a major explosion from the scene.
The accident happened along Ido-Ifaki highway at about 9.30am.
The Truck blocked the road and emitted thick smoke and fire that caused tension in the area for hours.
The blockade of the road made it impassable while those traveling from Ifaki Ekiti to Ido were said to be taking a detour to prevent being caught in the web of fire outbreak that raged on before it was put out by men of the state fire services.
Those wounded have been taken to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti for medicare.
One of then was admitted at the Intensive Care Unit due to the severity of the injury sustained.
An eyewitness told Blueprint that the the driver of the truck lost control, when the brake failed and swerved off the road as he approached a sharp bend.
“The driver lost control and when it got to the road bend, it swerved off and somersaulted.
“Immediately this happened, the fuel spilled and caught fire which made those within the vicinity to scamper for safety.
“When it was obvious that people could no longer have the capacity to put the fire off, they made emergency call to fire service which came with superior equipment to quench the inferno”, he said.
When contacted, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Mr Mohammed Olowo, confirmed that four persons rescued at the scene have been taken to the hospital.
“The prompt action we took helped in reducing the severity of this fire. Though, people were wounded but no death was recorded.
“We worked with men of the fire services and we have been able to restore normalcy in terms of rescuing the victims and in ensuring free flow of vehicles along that route”, he stated.
