Six persons sustained injuries while eight others were rescued following a multiple-vehicle accident that triggered a fire outbreak at Guru Maharaji Bridge, Toll Gate axis of the Ibadan-Lagos Expressway on Friday night.
The Oyo State Fire Services Agency disclosed that it received a distress call at about 9:29 p.m. reporting a major road crash involving several vehicles at the busy highway corridor.
According to the agency, its personnel, led by Chief Fire Superintendent (CFS) Adesina Soji, responded swiftly to the emergency and arrived at the scene to discover a collision involving six trucks, including gas tankers and trailer trucks, as well as two other vehicles—a Hilux and a passenger car.
The impact of the crash resulted in a fire outbreak, raising fears of a larger disaster due to the presence of fuel-laden and gas-carrying trucks. However, firefighters immediately commenced firefighting operations and successfully contained the blaze, preventing it from spreading to nearby vehicles and surrounding properties.
The agency said six injured persons were recovered from the scene, while eight others were rescued and handed over to officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), led by Sector Route Commander Adegbite from the Toll Gate Unit, for medical attention at a nearby hospital.
Preliminary findings indicated that the accident may have been caused by brake failure involving one of the vehicles, which triggered the chain collision.
The firefighting operation lasted several hours, with personnel returning safely to the station at about 1:40 a.m. on Saturday after bringing the situation under control.
Reacting to the incident, the Special Adviser on Fire Reform and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Hon. Dr. Moroof Adebayo Akinwande, urged motorists to exercise caution while driving, especially on highways, to reduce the incidence of avoidable accidents.
He also stressed the need for vehicle owners to install and maintain functional fire extinguishers in their vehicles to enable quick response to fire outbreaks before they escalate.
Akinwande further appealed to members of the public to promptly report fire emergencies and provide accurate information on locations to facilitate rapid intervention by emergency responders.
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