Tragedy! 10 Die, 25 Vehicles Burnt in Moniya tanker accident
…As Oyo lawmaker, Fatokun sympathizes With Victims
Tragedy struck in Ibadan on Friday as a petrol tanker fire razed areas around Moniya Market at Akinyele Local Government, with many feared trapped and dead in the escalating inferno.
GOALPOACHER NEWS learnt that the official casualty figure is yet to be determined, but eyewitness reports indicated that many, including passengers were said to have lost their lives in the flames, with tens sustaining various degrees of burns.
Another eyewitness said about 10 people were reported to have lost their lives while several vehicles between 15 to 20 and several shops were affected by the conflagration.
Scores of motorcycles and other valuables were also consumed by the conflagrating fire.
According to residents, a petrol tanker loaded with fuel was said to have avoided a truck parked by the roadside. The tanker had climbed on the asphalt meant for the construction of Moniya-Iseyin road, leading to loss of control and explosion on two vehicles filled with passengers.
The ensuing and raging flame was said to have spread to shops and stalls in the area. The fire traced the path of the fuel spill, burning down everything in its way.
One of the victims whose shop was burnt disclosed to GOALPOACHER NEWS what made the fire terrible and permeating. He explained that a lady has a shop where she refills gas cylinders, saying as soon as the tanker fell, the cylinders exploded.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Akinyele Constituency 1 at the Oyo State House of Assembly, Ayotunde Fatokun, has sympathised and empathised with the victims of the inferno that wreaked havoc on Moniya market at Akinyele Local Government Area, which falls within the purview of his constituency.
Fatokun who was out of the state for an official assignment, had to send his team to assess the level of damage done by the unfortunate incident.
The Chairman Parliamentary Council in his message said,”I sympathise with the people and families that lost their loved ones and property at the Moniya Market fire today.
“It was an unfortunate incident that happened at a very bad time in the history of the world at large.
“It is really unfortunate that it occurred when the world is still battling the coronavirus pandemic.Once again, I share in their grief. I know the state government is aware of the inferno and I believe something will be done at the right. I equally want to thank the State Fire Service for their intervention which prevented the inferno from spreading beyond the point it happened”.
