Panic broke out in parts of Ilorin, Kwara State, on Saturday after roughly 45,000 litres of petrol spilled from a tanker at a filling station along Old Jebba Road, though firefighters contained the hazard without any reported casualties.
The Kwara State Fire Service said the incident occurred around 5:08pm at a Conoil station in the Maraba area, after station staff found a discrepancy between the tanker's expected and measured fuel quantity. An attempt to retrieve fuel from the tanker caused its valve to open, and the product began gushing out uncontrollably.
Fire Service spokesperson Hassan Adekunle said police and the state's road traffic authority helped control vehicular movement around the area, keeping motorists away while firefighters worked. He urged filling station operators and tanker owners to exercise greater caution during fuel loading, transport, and discharge, and to ensure valves and hoses are properly maintained.