A major disaster was narrowly avoided in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Saturday after a petrol tanker went up in flames while attempting to discharge fuel at a filling station.
The incident occurred at Olumo Filling Station, Oko-Olowo Junction, at about 2:31pm, shortly after the 45,000-litre tanker arrived from Lagos, the Kwara State Fire Service said.
Spokesman of the agency, Hassan Adekunle, who confirmed the development in a statement, said flames erupted from the vehicle moments after it entered the station, prompting a distress call to fire officials.
Adekunle said firefighters battled the blaze with what he described as “high professionalism”, preventing the inferno from spreading to the dispensing area and nearby buildings.
“The petrol tanker was affected, while further escalation into the filling station infrastructure was averted through the gallant efforts of the firefighters,” he stated, adding that the incident could have resulted in massive loss of property and possibly lives.
The Director of the Fire Service, Alabi Muhammed, commiserated with the station owner and praised his men for their swift intervention.
He urged fuel depot operators, tanker drivers and filling station managers to comply strictly with safety rules, undertake routine checks, and ensure functional fire control equipment at their facilities.
Muhammed stressed that prompt reporting of emergencies and adherence to safety standards remained key to preventing fuel-related disasters.