A filling station, Giant IBK Oil and Gas, and two petrol tankers were razed by fire on Ondo-Akure Expressway in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Wednesday.
It was gathered that the fire, whose cause was still unknown as of the time of this report, started at about 1.40pm, but no life was lost in the inferno.
Ten persons, including the drivers of the tankers and the workers of the filling station were said to have escaped death by a whisker.
When our correspondent visited the scene, men of the 323 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army had cordoned off the area to prevent a breakdown of law and order, while men of the state fire service were busy putting out the fire.
The incident caused gridlock on the expressway for several hours and consequently, some motorists took alternative routes to their various destinations.
One of the workers of the filling station told our correspondent that the drivers and the assistants were offloading fuel into the underground fuel dump of the station when the tankers burst into flames.
He said, “The cause of the fire outbreak is still a mystery. All of us ran away from the station when the flames became uncontrollable.
But one of the drivers, who identified himself as Victor, said, “I drove here from Lagos. I expected the workers to start the process of offloading the fuel. But an hour later, the tanker just caught fire. I don’t know what caused it and I am confused.”
However, the petrol dealer, who identified himself simply as Lawal, blamed the fire on the failure of the tanker owner to meet up with the Department of Petroleum Resources’ safety precaution.
As of the time of filing this report, the men of the fire service were still trying to put out the fire.
