The Oyo State Fire Service has rescued a 35-year-old man following a fire outbreak that engulfed a petroleum station in Igbeti, Oyo State.
The incident occurred on Sunday at Bon-kay Petroleum Station located along Kara Area, Kishi Road in Igbeti, where a Volvo truck loaded with 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) caught fire during a transloading operation.
Eyewitness accounts indicated that the tanker was transferring its contents into the station’s underground storage tanks when the inferno broke out, rapidly spreading to parts of the facility.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Fire Service, Hon. Moroof Adebayo Akinwande, disclosed that emergency responders arrived promptly at the scene to contain the blaze.
According to him, “Upon arrival, our men met a Volvo truck with registration number KSB 300XB fully engulfed in flames and heavy smoke. A man, believed to be about 35 years old, was rescued alive and immediately taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention.”
He further explained that preliminary findings revealed the fire was triggered by sparks generated during the transloading of petroleum products.
Akinwande added that while the fire severely affected the tanker trailer and parts of the filling station, the swift intervention of firefighters prevented further escalation.
He noted that properties worth millions of naira were salvaged, as the fire service successfully curtailed the spread of the inferno to adjoining structures.
The agency reiterated the need for strict adherence to safety protocols during the handling and transfer of petroleum products to prevent similar incidents.
