A petrol tanker laden with 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) on Saturday crashed at Guru Maharaji area, Toll Gate, along the Ibadan-Lagos Expressway, Ibadan.

The Oyo State Fire Services Agency said two male occupants of the tanker were trapped in the accident but were rescued by its officers.

The agency, in a statement, said it received a distress call about the accident at exactly 8:38 a.m. and promptly mobilised its officers to the scene.

On arrival, the firefighters discovered that a MAC trailer tanker with registration number BDJ 27IXG (OYO), loaded with 45,000 litres of PMS, had swerved off the road and plunged into a nearby ditch.

The fire crew rescued the two occupants and immediately applied foam chemical compound to the spilled petroleum product to prevent a possible fire outbreak.

The victims were subsequently handed over to officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for further necessary action.

Preliminary information indicated that brake failure caused the accident.

The fire appliance returned safely to the station at 11:48 a.m. and was placed on standby.

The Special Adviser on Fire Services Reform and Chairman, Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Dr Moroof Akinwande, urged motorists to exercise extreme caution while driving, particularly on highways, to prevent avoidable accidents.

Akinwande also stressed the importance of having functional fire extinguishers in vehicles to enable motorists to tackle fire outbreaks at their early stages.

He urged members of the public to report fire emergencies promptly and provide accurate locations to facilitate swift response.