A petrol-laden tanker on Sunday overturned along the Lambata-Lapai-Agaie Road in Niger State, sparking panic among residents in the area.
A few days ago, a fuel-laden tanker killed some residents scooping petrol after it overturned.
Today’s incident occurred in the early hours at Takalafiya village, about two kilometres from Lapai town in Lapai Local Government Area.
The tanker, which had departed from Lagos and was en route to Kano, fell while navigating the recently reconstructed portion of the road under the ongoing NNPCL intervention project.
A resident, Mahmud Abubakar, told Daily Trust that the road section where the tanker fell had already started deteriorating despite the recent rehabilitation work.
Another resident, Mohammed Hassan Sonmaji, said the prompt response of the fire service unit of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBUL), Lapai, and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) helped prevent an explosion.
He added that officials of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Lapai Chapter, also joined efforts to manage the situation.
It was learnt that some of the spilled fuel was safely recovered into drums to minimise wastage and prevent environmental hazards.
Dr. Ibrahim Audu Hussaini, director of information and special duties at the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), confirmed the incident, saying there was no cause for alarm.
He said the tanker did not explode and that firefighting trucks from IBBUL were on standby at the scene, while security personnel had been deployed to secure the area.