No fewer than three people were reported dead while five persons sustained serious burns when  Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNC) tanker trying to offload fuel from another exploded and caught fire.

Also about eight shops were touched while while two Sport Utility Vehicles were not spared as they were burnt to ashes.

The incident occurred beside Energy filling station at Orogun Junction via Iwo road/Ojoo expressway in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State between 11am and 1pm.

Tick smoke covered the air as most shop and car owners packed in some perimeters close to the scene made frantic efforts to retrieve their properties for fear of being burnt.An eye witness, Dr Ayo

Osisanwo, told CEOAFRICA correspondent that the unfortunate incident occurred when an NNPC truck was offloading fuel from another NNPC truck which had fallen off the road but still loaded with fuel.     

According to him, the inferno started in the process of technical transfer of the fuel to an empty tanker when the one loaded caught fire. He said, three

persons were reportedly feared dead in the process as fuel drained into the

area and exploded burning properties and human found along its path.

Five persons who sustained serious burns were rushed to the hospital with an Oyo state ambulance dispatched to the scene. A detachment of men of

the Nigerian Police, Civil Defence Corp, and the fire service stormed the scene but ran out of water and effort was made to source for water. 

The situation led to 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.

There was also 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,”he said.

He explained that the situation got worse when the fire service ran out of water and had to wait for another, adding that it was while waiting that the fire went wild and engulfed the surrounding shops numbering about eight and some other houses including some vehicles were burnt beyond recognition.