No fewer than five persons have reportedly died in a fire incident caused by a fallen fuel tanker in Kwara State.
Others sustained severe burnt injuries.
The incident happened at the weekend on Jebba road in Moro Local Government.
Residents said the incident occurred when the tanker fell and emptied its inflammable content on the road.
Eyewitness said “some of the product found its way into a gutter, which was later ignited from a fire of some residents cooking outside”.
He said: “Two children who went to fetch water were caught in the conflagration while returning, but one died in the process and the second is battling for life at a hospital. A man defecating in the bush was also burnt and about three people that were still scooping the product were caught by the fire and burnt to ashes.
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“We only discovered their charred bodies the next day. But we have about five deaths, while around seven people have been injured so far.”
The source said some of the victims, who were rushed to hospital, later died, adding that others were transferred to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) in IlÍrin because of the severity of their burns.
Spokesman for the Kwara Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, confirmed the incident yesterday.
He said the fire incident was handled by the fire service of the Jebba Paper Mill.