File photo: Tanker fire
NO fewer than 30 persons were, yesterday, killed as over 60 suffered various degrees of burns while scooping petrol from a fallen tanker at Ahumber village in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State.
An eyewitness told Vanguard that the fuel-laden truck, which was travelling towards Makurdi, skidded off the road and fell while the driver was trying to avoid multiple potholes on that portion of the road.
According to him, “shortly after the truck fell, the people in the village ran towards the spot with buckets to scoop the fuel that was spilling from the truck. They probably thought it was kerosene or diesel.
“It was while this was going on that the truck exploded into a huge flame, which also affected a loaded bus heading towards Otukpo, roasting about 30 persons to death, with more than 60 others sustaining burns.”
Benue State Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Mr. Aliu Baba, who confirmed the incident, said his men were on ground to evacuate the victims to various hospitals in the area.
He noted that “at the moment we have recovered about 10 corpses. Over 50 persons were affected and are receiving treatment in some hospitals in the area.
“Though for now we are yet to ascertain the real number of the dead, but the fire is still raging and fuel oozing from the nuzzles of the tanker.
“Unfortunately, the tanker fell in a neighbourhood that has shops. They all lost their goods to the fire, but men of the fire service are battling to put out the fire.”
At press time, Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent Catherine Anene, said the Command was yet to get details of the incident.
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