No fewer than three persons have been reported dead while five persons sustained serious burns at Orogun Junction along Iwo road/Ojoo expressway today.

An NNPC tanker was said to have been offload fuel from another tanker when suddenly it exploded and caught fire.

About eight shops and two Sport Utility Vehicles were not were burnt to ashes.

According to an eye witness Muyideen Akanbi said that the incident occurred when an NNPC tanker was offloading fuel from another NNPC tanker which had fallen off the road but was still loaded with fuel.

He said that fire broke out in the process of transferring the fuel to the empty the other tanker when the one loaded caught fire. 

Three persons were reportedly feared dead and five others sustained serious burns were rushed to the hospital with an Oyo state ambulance dispatched to the scene.

Men from the Nigerian Civil Defence Corp, Police, and the fire service were immediately dispatched to the area making serous efforts to put out the fire. 

As the fire rages on, there was traffic gridlock as the expressway was blocked leaving only one lane for those both traffic. The lane was totally blocked consequently as all road users tried to escape the scene.

CEOafrica reports that there was obvious panic at the scene as pedestrians were seen wailing uncontrollably while passersby lamented the incident. 

"An NNPC tanker was trying to offload fuel from the other one that fell off by the road side. suddenly the loaded one caught fire and the driver tried hard to drive it away from the one already burning. He was successful and flew out of the vehicle after the rescue. Unfortunately, the unprecedented fire had killed about three people while about five others were seriously burnt. luckily, men of the Oyo state fire service were there to rescue the situation. However, the situation got worse when the fire service ran out of water and had to wait for another. It was while waiting that the fire went wild and engulfed the surrounding shops, numbering about five and some other houses around. Infact, some vehicles were burnt beyond recognition including 2 SUVs" He narrated.