The incident caused major disruption along the Sagana–Karatina–Kagio and Mwea–Embu roads, forcing motorists to reverse and seek alternative routes as thick smoke and flames engulfed the tanker.
Firefighters from Murang’a County responded to the scene and managed to contain the blaze after an intense firefighting operation.
Traffic remained at a standstill for more than an hour before traffic police officers from Sagana arrived to restore order and direct motorists.
“We don’t know what is happening. We’re only seeing fire and smoke, and we’re heading to Nairobi from Meru,” one stranded driver said.
Residents living near the bridge said they were alarmed by a loud explosion moments before the fire broke out.
“We heard a loud bang, which is why we came out at around 9pm,” said Ayub Mwangi, a resident.
Some local residents who initially rushed to help thought it was an ordinary road accident, but they retreated after learning the vehicle involved was a fuel tanker.
“We wanted to help the driver, but we were told he had already escaped. Petrol is very dangerous, so we decided to keep our distance,” another resident said.
Police said the driver of the tanker escaped with minor injuries.
The tanker was completely destroyed by the fire before it was towed to Sagana Police Station.
