26 people dead as tanker caught fire in Ibadan!

Residents of the Ojoo area of Ibadan , the Oyo State capital, yesterday watched helplessly as an inferno triggered by a spillage from an oil tanker burnt their loved ones into ashes. About 26 people, including a nursing mother, died in the incident, while several others are battling for survival in different hospitals.The ugly fire accident occurred at Aduloju community along Iwo-Ojoo Road. Hundreds of people, who thronged the place to render a helping hand, wept uncontrollably as bodies were being consumed by the raging flames. About 26 vehicles and equipment worth several millions of naira were burnt. According to an eyewitness, the fire started when a tanker loaded with the petroleum product, in an attempt to avoid a collision with an 18-seater bus, ran into a pole beside the road, leading to an outbreak of fire following a spillage of its contents. It was gathered that 18 passengers in the bus were burnt beyond recognition, while seven people who were roadside mechanics were also burnt to death. Also a nursing mother selling engine oil beside the road was killed while trying to save her baby who was already trapped in the fire.The fire also affected about eight buildings, including a church.