Residents of Olambe, Matogun, and adjoining communities in Ifo Local Council of Ogun State, escaped death by the whiskers, yesterday after a petrol-laden tanker exploded in the early hours of the day.
 
Though no life was lost, about 10 houses and several shops were razed down as residents scamper for safety sensing the magnitude of the ensuing inferno.
  
According to an eyewitness account, the truck was conveying the fuel to a filling station in the area when it lost control between Olambe and Matogun, due to the bad section of the road.
 
In the process, the truck crashed and the petrol spilled on the road and into the drainage. A spark suddenly occurred, and that led to the inferno.
 
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), which confirmed the incident, in a statement said that the situation was mitigated with most of the content spilling into the canal close to the scene.
    
“This saved the community from a serious incident that could have affected more people.” Signed by the Zonal Coordinator, South West, Ibrahim Farinloye, he said the incident occurred at about 7.00 a.m. on Olambe/Matogun road, Ifo council area, when the tanker, laden with 45, 000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit crashed, spilling its contents.
 
 “Though no life was lost, or anyone sustained an injury, about 10 buildings were consumed in the incident.
 
“The situation was mitigated with most of the content spilling into the canal close to the scene. This saved the community from a serious incident that could have affected more people,” Farinloye said.