A VIRAL video which purports to show a petroleum-laden tanker raging on fire, is spreading on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter).
In the video, a truck-laden tanker is seen moving on a highway, with fire on the red tanker. There is a noise in the background of the video, and crowds applaud the driver.
An X user,@Onsogbu, with 42.3k followers, posted the 30-second footage on January 1, 2025, with the caption: “A petroleum product tanker caught fire at Isieke Junction in Ebonyi state. The driver was looking for a safe place away from the residential area to avoid casualties.”
The post has garnered 12k views, 15 comments, 15 reposts, 66 comments, and 14 bookmarks, as of press time.
CLAIM
Video Shows Tanker Caught On Fire In Ebonyi State.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The Explainer indicate that the clip is old footage dating back to 2023.
The Explainer extracted screenshots of the footage and subjected them to Google Len. The results show that the clip has been online since November 18 2023.
GistReel reported the incident in 2023 with a headline that reads: “He deserves a national reward.” Reactions as driver risks it all to search for a safe parking spot for burning truck.”
Also, a YouTube Channel named “ True Crime Daniel titled its headline, “Fuel Tanker on Fire; As The Driver Moves It to A secluded area away From People “ on its report of November 18, 2023.
Further searches using keywords such as Driver Moving Burning Tanker Away from Residents in Ebonyi led to 2019 news reports published by Anaedoonline
THE VERDICT
The claim that the video shows a Petro-laden tanker caught on fire, is MISLEADING; the footage was recorded when the truck driver drove out the truck from catching fire on residents’ houses in 2023 and does not depict a recent event
