A petrol-laden tanker carrying 33,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) exploded on Thursday following a crash at Celica Junction along the New Ife Expressway in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
According to reports, the tanker lost control due to brake failure and collided with other vehicles, triggering a massive fire outbreak.
The explosion engulfed the tanker and a car, while a Prado Jeep was pushed into a roadside gutter by the impact. Fortunately, no lives were lost in the incident.
Confirming the development, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Fire Service Reform and Chairman of the Fire Services Agency, Hon. Moroof Adebayo Akinwande, said the fire was reported at exactly 6:27 PM on Thursday, July 17, 2025.
“Upon receiving the alert through a telephone call and from CFS Awoleke, a team led by ACFS Adeniyi Adesina was immediately dispatched to the scene.
On arrival, they found the petrol tanker and a car already engulfed in flames,” Akinwande stated.
The firefighters quickly deployed chemical foam to contain the blaze and successfully prevented it from spreading to a nearby NNPC filling station and other properties.
The operation was carried out in collaboration with officers of the Federal Fire Service.
Akinwande further explained that the accident was caused by a mechanical failure in the tanker’s braking system, which led the vehicle to ram into a Prado Jeep and a car before toppling and igniting.
Thanks to the swift response, the fire was extinguished without any fatalities.
The Special Adviser assured residents that the situation was under control and urged the public to go about their activities without fear.
Also present at the scene were the Director of Operations of the Oyo State Fire Service Agency, Engr. I.A. Adeleke, along with operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (Egbeda Division), NSCDC, Amotekun Corps, and the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA), who provided security and traffic support.