Shops And Houses Burnt As Petrol Tanker Tumbles And Catches Fire

A petrol-laden tanker caught fire in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, on Sunday, destroying several homes and businesses.

The tanker was about to take a bend along Ganaja/Ajaokuta road in Lokoja when it toppled on its side, spilling its content while villagers flocked to the scene to fetch up some of the products, according to eyewitness accounts.

One of the shop owners along the road may have lit a cigarette, which started the fire, according to a source.

The event resulted in the route being blocked while firefighters worked feverishly to extinguish the flames.

However, at the time of writing this story, no one has died.

Attempts to contact the Kogi state police command’s public relations officer, SP William Aya, were unsuccessful, as repeated calls to his phone went unanswered.

He has also failed to respond to a mail seeking comments on the event.