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A devastating fuel tanker explosion occurred in Enugu State, Nigeria, resulting in the loss of many lives.
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The Federal Road Safety Corps reported an official death toll of 11.
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The Enugu State government has promised to take steps to prevent future occurrences.
A devastating fuel tanker explosion occurred in Enugu State, Nigeria, on Saturday, resulting in the loss of many lives.
The tragic incident occurred at Ugwu Onyeama, along Enugu-Onitsha expressway, when a fuel-laden tanker experienced brake failure while navigating the hilly road.
According to eyewitnesses, the tanker driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a water tanker belonging to JUHEL Nigeria Limited, causing a massive explosion that destroyed everything in its path. The fire, which raged for a considerable distance, engulfed 11 vehicles, killing their occupants.
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The Federal Road Safety Corps reported an official death toll of 11, though eyewitnesses estimated that the number of casualties was much higher.
“What we are doing now as you can see is that we are counting the number of the vehicles, their type and calculate the casualty figures based on the seating number,” said a Federal Road Safety Corps officer.
Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah expressed sadness over the accident and promised to take steps to prevent future occurrences.
“This is an accident involving a tanker that preliminary investigation shows may have had a brake failure, fell down, had its product, premium motor spirit spill from the tank and ignited. So, this is for us a tragedy where we have some casualties.”
READ ALSO: Residents Scoop Fuel, As Petrol Tanker Falls In Taraba
The governor directed the Federal Road Safety Commission’s Sector Commander, Enugu, Mr Franklin Agbakoba, and the State Commissioner for Transport, Mr Obi Ozor, to ensure that all tankers conveying inflammable substances in the state have anti-spill lock that will prevent spill in case of accident.
“We are obviously not going to wait for the federal government to fix the other section of the road. We as government are going to take steps to ensure that whatever needs to be done on that section of the federal road is done immediately so we would never want a reoccurrence of this,” the governor stated.
Niger Residents Risk Lives Again, Scoop Fuel from Another Fallen Tanker
Barely 48 hours after a devastating tanker explosion claimed the lives of over 90 people in Niger State, another alarming incident has occurred in Bida town, where residents gathered to scoop fuel from a fallen tanker.
The tanker, believed to be carrying groundnut oil, broke down in the community on Monday, attracting a crowd of residents.
