By Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti

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Tragedy struck on Wednesday in Aramoko-Ekiti, Ekiti West Local Government area of Ekiti State, when an 18-tyre tanker loaded with Premium Motor Spirit(PMS), otherwise known as petrol tumbled, killing two persons in the area.

Though the cause of the incident was sketchy as at the time of filing the report, it was reliably gathered that the two victims were farmers and residents of Aramoko-Ekiti.

They were said to be trekking by the roadside on their way to the farm on the fateful day, when the tanker suddenly lost its control and rammed into the duo.

According to an eyewitness who was at the scene of the incident, the petrol-laden tanker was coming from Ibadan and heading towards Ado-Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State, when it suddenly lost its control while descending a long sharp bend along Erio-Ekiti axis of the road.

The source added that the incident which occurred on Wednesday morning created panic and palpable tension in the area as residents hurriedly deserted their homes and relocated to a nearby community for fear of explosion from the scene of the incident.

It equally resulted to slow   vehicular movement on the road.

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the police hurriedly mobilised their men to the road, apparently to prevent breakdown of law and order, as well to prevent residents from scooping fuel from the ill-fated tanker.

Speaking on the incident, the FRSC Head of Operations, Ekiti State Sector Command, Mr Olajide Magaji, said the accident which claimed two lives occurred as a result of poor condition of the road.

He explained that the ill-fated tanker loaded with 33 thousand litres of petrol loss its control while ascending on a long and sharp portion of the road.

Describing the death of the two victims as very unfortunate, the Head of Operations, Ekiti State Command of the FRSC warned drivers to always drive slowly while ascending or descending on hilly and any bad portions of the road.