Transport activities along the Eldoret-Webuye highway were disrupted in wee hours of Wednesday morning after a petrol tanker burst into flames and burnt down at Mwamba trading centre in Lugari sub county.
Confirming the incident, Lugari Sub County Police Commander (SCPC) Patrick Maundu said the fire resulted from a tyre jam in the 2am incident.
He said the tanker driver noticed flames of fire on one of the rear tyres through the side mirror and stopped to try and put it off using fire extinguishers but his efforts were in vain.
He said the fire spread so fast causing a tremendous explosion and burnt down the tanker which was ferrying about 31,000 litters of super petrol destined to a neighbouring country.
It took about two hours for fire fighters from Eldoret in the neighboring Uasin Gishu county to reach the scene causing a heavy traffic snarl up along the busy highway.
According to the police boss, apart from the vehicle and commodity on transit nothing else was destroyed by the fire and there were no causalities.
