By A 38-year-old tanker driver, Alagbe Hezekiah, an indigene of Ogbomosho, has narrated how he averted a potentially catastrophic explosion after a fire broke out while he was attempting to refuel at a filling station in Iwo, Osun State, about two days ago.
Narrating the incident, Hezekiah said the fire started suddenly while the fuelling pipe was already connected to the tanker and that neither he nor those around him could immediately establish the source of the blaze. He said an attempt was made to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher, but the fire quickly overwhelmed it and kept spreading.
With the inferno growing and properties around the station at risk, Hezekiah said he made the decision to get behind the wheel of the burning truck and drive it away from the crowded vicinity, eventually steering it toward a nearby river where there were fewer structures and less risk to human life.
He admitted the decision was not an easy one. “I took the bold step with the conviction that I may survive or be consumed and die with the incident,” he said. “However, sacrificing my life to save properties and other people’s lives would be better than risking others with the incident.”
Hezekiah said fear did not leave him even after he had climbed into the truck, adding that his apprentice fled the scene as soon as the fire broke out. Still, he said he was determined to protect lives and property, even at personal risk.
He disclosed that he had been driving tanker trucks since 2004 but had never encountered a situation like this one. He used the experience to urge fellow truck drivers to remain committed to their work and to act decisively when the moment calls for it, particularly where the safety of their employers’ property is concerned. He also appealed to the Oyo and Osun state governments to improve road networks in ways that would ease the movement of truck drivers and other road users.
Reactions Online
The incident, which was captured on video showing panicked bystanders fleeing the scene as the tanker burned, has since drawn widespread commentary online, with many describing Hezekiah’s actions as heroic.
Responding to a post on the incident by Taiwo Obasanjo Hammed, Aluku Oluwatoyin Adeniyi commended the driver’s composure under pressure. “This man is brave and intelligent,” he wrote. “He displayed professionalism by removing the head of the truck from the tanker.”
Ojo Fawunmi credited Hezekiah’s survival to his mindset in the moment. “His mindset not to put the majority of lives in danger, but his own, is the reason why he did not die in the inferno,” he wrote. “He will surely make it in life.”
Osuolale Tajideen Adeolu described the act as a display of both courage and intelligence. “This man is very brave and smart,” he wrote. “May God continue to guide him.”
Mayowa Agbeniyi called the driver’s action an intentional risk few would be willing to take. “It was an incredible act, he’s an intentional man,” she wrote. “He took a risk that I was scared of. His efforts are commendable.”
Akeem Onitolo offered a more philosophical take on the gamble Hezekiah took. “The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success,” he wrote. “If it fails, you’re a fool. If it works, you’re a genius.”
Netizens reacting to the video have since called on Hezekiah’s employer and the government to reward his bravery, noting that his actions helped save lives, nearby properties, and the truck’s head itself, significantly reducing what could have been a far costlier disaster.
