Dare Babalola
Oyo State’s Bioku-Alaadun community was rocked by a deadly gas explosion on Friday night, resulting in multiple fatalities.
The explosion occurred while a tanker was discharging gas into a retail outlet in Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The casualties were said to include the owner of the gas shop and others who were nearby at the time of the incident.
Confirming the incident to newsmen, the General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Yemi Akinyinka, said emergency responders had been deployed and were actively working to bring the situation under control.
He said there were casualties but noted that full details were still being compiled.
Akinyinka said, “Our men are there; they are still working. Yes, the incident happened. They were discharging gas, and there was an explosion. Information on the casualties is still being gathered.”
In 2000, a devastating petrol tanker explosion on the Ibadan-Ifẹ road claimed many lives, with estimates ranging from 96 to 200 deaths. Over 100 vehicles were destroyed, and hundreds were left with severe burns.
In April 2025, a petrol tanker exploded along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, destroying properties worth millions of naira. Thankfully, no casualties were reported.
Also, in September 2025, a fire gutted a six-room building in Oremeji community, Egbeda Local Government Area, with no reported fatalities. The cause was attributed to an indiscriminately dropped cigarette stub.
In another incident, a fire broke out at the Oyo State Government Secretariat, destroying valuable goods and property. The cause was linked to an electrical surge.
According to the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, 272 fire incidents were recorded between January and September 2025.
