PHOTOS: Men of the Kwara State Fire Service wetting the floor to prevent possible ignition. Credit: Kwara Fire Service
Panic broke out in parts of Ilorin, Kwara State capital, on Saturday after about 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit spilt from a petroleum tanker at a filling station along the Old Jebba Road.
The Kwara State Fire Service said the incident occurred at about 5:08 pm at Conoil Filling Station, Muritala Mohammed, in the Maraba area of Ilorin.
The service disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesperson, Hassan Adekunle, a copy of which PUNCH Online obtained.
According to Hassan, the tanker had conveyed the PMS from Lagos to Ilorin and was scheduled to discharge one compartment of the three-compartment tanker at the filling station.
He said trouble started after the filling station management took measurements and discovered a discrepancy between the expected and measured quantity of the petroleum product.
He added that an attempt to retrieve some of the PMS from the tanker led to the valve being opened, after which the product began gushing out uncontrollably.
“The valve could no longer be controlled, and a large volume of PMS subsequently spilt within the filling station and began flowing towards Post Office Road and Amilengbe Road,” Hassan said.
The PRO said the spill created a significant danger to motorists, residents, businesses and nearby petroleum facilities because of the highly flammable nature of PMS.
He, however, noted that no fire broke out during the incident.
Hassan noted that operatives responded swiftly after being alerted and immediately began preventive measures to prevent the spilt petrol from igniting.
“Firefighters deployed chemical foam compound to saturate the affected areas, including the filling station, Post Office Road and Amilengbe Road, thereby mitigating the possibility of rapid combustion and preventing the situation from escalating into a major fire incident,” Hassan said.
He said the prompt intervention successfully contained the hazardous situation and prevented what could have developed into a major fire disaster.
Commenting on the incident, the Chief Fire Officer, Alabi Muhammed, commended the firefighters for their professionalism, courage and prompt response.
“Timely intervention played a critical role in preventing a potentially catastrophic incident,” Muhammed said.
The Chief Fire Officer also commended the Nigeria Police Force and the Kwara State Road Traffic Management Authority for their support during the operation.
According to the statement, personnel of the two agencies controlled vehicular movement from Agric Road, Amilengbe and Post Office Road to prevent motorists from entering the hazardous area.
“Their personnel effectively controlled vehicular movement from Agric Road, Amilengbe and Post Office Road, helping to keep motorists away from the hazardous area and creating a safe operational environment for the firefighters,” it read.
Meanwhile, Muhammed urged filling station operators and petroleum tanker owners to exercise extreme caution during the loading, transportation and discharge of petroleum products.
He also stressed the need for operators to ensure that valves, hoses and other discharge equipment were properly inspected and functional before any transfer operation.
“Even in the absence of visible flames, spilt PMS can ignite rapidly and cause devastating consequences,” Muhammed warned.
He consequently urged members of the public to stay away from petroleum product spillages and immediately alert emergency responders whenever such incidents occurred.
The latest incident came barely two days after firefighters averted another potentially disastrous petroleum tanker mishap in the state.
On Thursday, men of the Kwara State Fire Service prevented a major disaster after a tanker carrying about 45,000 litres of PMS detached from its tanker head along the New Jebba Expressway in Oloru, Moro Local Government Area.
The PUNCH gathered that the incident occurred at about 9:08 am while the tanker, with registration number OYO 45 AA, was transporting the petroleum product from Lagos to Abuja.
According to the Fire Service, the driver had noticed a strange sound while in transit and pulled over to inspect the vehicle but found no obvious fault.
The Fire Service said the incident occurred within a densely populated community surrounded by buildings, shops and vehicles, creating a significant risk of fire and possible loss of lives and property.
The service said its personnel remained at the scene until the petroleum product was safely siphoned into another empty tanker.
The two incidents underscored the importance of vigilance and rapid emergency response in preventing petroleum product-related disasters across the state.
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