Fire guts petrol station in Oyo, destroys tanker
By Adejayan Gbenga Gsong
Fire broke out on Saturday at Gastab Petroleum Station along the Ibadan/Oyo road, destroying properties worth millions of naira.
WESTERN POST gathered that the fire incident occurred as a result of sparks while a petroleum tanker was offloading fuel into an underground tank at the station.
It was also learnt that the petroleum tanker, a Scania DAF with registration number XV 97 AGL, loaded with 45,000 litres of petroleum spirit, caught fire due to the sparks.
The General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Service, Mr. Yemi Akinyinka, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday, said no lives were lost.
He added that officers of the fire agency remain on standby to prevent future occurrences.
“The agency’s officers, led by ACFS Tijani Bamidele, were promptly deployed to the scene. On arrival, we found a Scania DAF with registration number XV 97 AGL, loaded with 45,000 litres of petroleum spirit, engulfed in flames.
“Our men swiftly swung into action and, alongside the Federal Fire Service, battled the blaze. It took us several hours to completely extinguish the fire. The incident was caused by sparks during the offloading of petroleum spirit, which ignited combustibles and set the tanker ablaze.
“No casualties were recorded, but the petrol tanker was completely destroyed. However, the fire service was able to save the petrol station and properties worth billions of naira.
“The Senior Adviser on Fire Reform/Chairman, Hon. Maroof Akinwande, Director of Operations at the Oyo Fire Services Agency, along with officers of the Nigeria Police Force, Ojongbodu Division, led by CSP Adeyeye, were also present,” he stated.
