A trailer conveying hundreds of bags of rice went up in flames on Thursday along the Numan axis of the Numan–Yola highway in Adamawa State, leaving motorists stranded for hours.
The incident, which occurred on the busy route that connects much of Adamawa to other parts of the country, triggered a major traffic jam as vehicles were halted in both directions.
Witnesses told reporters that traffic was grounded for nearly two hours as residents rushed to assist in putting out the fire and salvaging the rice.
One of those who joined the rescue effort, Adamu Bappa, said villagers battled thick smoke as they offloaded the rice from the burning truck.
He said, “It took the villagers in the vicinity considerable effort and time to offload the rice amidst heavy smoke from the burning trailer.”
Bappa explained that he and other volunteers recovered about 400 bags of rice from the roughly 500 bags the trailer was transporting.