Eight people have died in a petrol tanker explosion that happened in the commercial town of Ore, in the state's Odigbo Local Government Area, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ondo State on Monday.

According to the Daily Trust, on Sunday, a fuel tanker carrying 33,000 liters of petroleum crashed as the driver was navigating the Benin-Ore-Lagos Expressway.

Mr. Ezekiel SonAllah, State Sector Commander of the FRSC, briefed journalists on the event and reported that the victims were petrol scoopers who had swooped on the fuel tanker as soon as it fell into a ditch by the roadside.

“The driver and motor boy of the vehicle escaped unhurt, but the eight villagers scooping fuel got burnt in the act. The dead bodies were taken to General Hospital Ore Morge, our men were on the ground,” he stated.

Mr. SonAllah's provided casualty figure contradicted the accounts of eyewitnesses who observed the petrol tanker explosion. Several witnesses stated that the incident resulted in the death of over 20 people, including three children and a pregnant woman.

On another note, the Ondo State government expressed deep sorrow over the victims of the tragic petrol tanker explosion. In an official statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs. Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, the government conveyed its profound devastation caused by the unfortunate incident.

The statement read in part, “This is a most horrendous way to die. We are shocked and traumatized as we express the depth of our grief for the victims of the explosion. The state would reach out to the victims’ families who are affected by these avoidable deaths. Whatever circumstances that led to this unfortunate incident must be discouraged.

“This is one tragedy too many and it is our joint responsibility to ensure this does not happen again.”

Likewise, Mr. Olatunji Ifabiyi, the representative of Odigbo 1 Constituency, expressed his condolences in response to the incident on Monday, referring to it as an unfortunate event.

He issued a stern warning to those engaged in the dangerous act of scooping fuel from fallen tankers, urging them to desist from such actions to prevent fatal consequences among residents.

Furthermore, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State also described the incident as deeply unfortunate and emotionally moving.

In a statement released by the party's spokesperson, Alex Kalejaiye, they appealed to all Nigerians to exercise greater caution when dealing with explosive materials, regardless of the temptations they may face.

“Times are hard, no doubt, but we are very certain that the situation will begin to relax very soon. We need to stay safe, and in good health to keep hope alive,” the party said.