The Police Command in Rivers State has provided an update on the fuel tanker explosion that occurred on Friday along the Eleme section of the East-West Road. According to the command’s spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the tragic incident resulted in the burning of four people and over 70 vehicles. The explosion was caused by a collision between a heavy-duty truck and a petrol-laden tanker.
A correspondent from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who visited the accident scene reported the presence of several burnt vehicles and charred bodies of victims on the road. The incident took place near the Indorama Petrochemical Company and approximately 10 kilometers away from the Port Harcourt Refinery.
The accident caused significant traffic congestion, with a gridlock stretching over five kilometers on the road that is currently under reconstruction as part of the N200 billion Ring Road project by the Rivers Government. To facilitate the flow of traffic, trucks from the state government, accompanied by police and officials from the Federal Road Safety Commission, were seen evacuating the burnt vehicles.
Eyewitnesses shared their accounts of the terrifying incident. Onyeka Ubani, who narrowly escaped the explosion while transporting passengers on his newly acquired tricycle (Keke), described hearing a deafening sound followed by a massive fireball. Although he managed to escape, his Keke was unfortunately engulfed in flames. Ubani expressed his gratitude for his life but expressed uncertainty about his future, having recently invested in the tricycle.
Another eyewitness, David Jumbo, recounted that he was returning home from work when the explosion occurred. He witnessed vehicles and victims being consumed by fire, with the flames stretching over 200 meters. Jumbo mentioned seeing a pregnant woman struggling to exit one of the commercial vehicles during the chaos. Sadly, when he returned to the scene the next morning, he discovered that the pregnant woman had been trapped in the bus and did not survive.
Jumbo attributed the accident to the recklessness of truck drivers who ignored road warnings despite the ongoing construction on the road.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State visited the accident scene and expressed his sadness over the tragic incident. He urged motorists to exercise caution while on the road and emphasized the need for proper conduct to prevent such accidents in the future. The governor also pledged support to the bereaved families to help mitigate their losses.
The fuel tanker explosion serves as a tragic reminder of the importance of road safety and the need for all road users to adhere to traffic regulations and exercise caution to prevent such devastating incidents.
