Tanker fire kills pregnant woman, 3 others, injures 20 near Onitsha, Anambra state

No fewer than four persons, including a pregnant woman, were feared dead yesterday, while 20 others sustained various degrees of injuries as a gasoline-laden tanker somersaulted and exploded on the New Auto Spare Parts Market Flyover, Nkpor, near Onitsha, Anambra State.

The accident, which occurred in the afternoon as a result of what eyewitnesses said was brake failure and loss of control on the part of the driver, also wiped out thousands of livestock, tubers of yam, second hand clothing and other items worth millions of naira as some quantities of gasoline (diesel) flowed down to the livestock and yam section of the nearby Nkpor Main Market.

Before fire fighters arrived

An eyewitness said by the time men of the state fire service arrived the scene, the tanker, birds in the livestock market and yams had been burnt.

According to the witness, the fire fighters prevented the fire from extending to more kiosks housing livestock, yams and clothing materials.

At press time yesterday, the actual estimate of the livestock, yam tubers, clothes and sweet potatoes roasted by the fire could not be ascertained as the owners were still lamenting their misfortune, even as the fire fighters were still pumping water into the burning market.

The driver of the burning tanker could not be located among the crowd that thronged the scene to assist in putting out the fire and rushing the injured victims to a nearby hospital for medical attention.

Mobilisation of agencies

Men of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, arrived the scene later, while officials of Anambra State Traffic Agency, ASTA, police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp, NSCDC, were seen trying to divert vehicles from the accident lane to the other lane of the expressway.

This resulted in heavy traffic from Nkpor to Onitsha and Nkpor to Ogidi.

The Director of Operations of the fire service, Ikechukwu Nzegwu, told newsmen that some people had been rushed to hospitals for medical attention, but the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, at Ogidi, Mr. Musa, who also confirmed the incident, said he was not yet aware of any casualty.

He added that those who sustained injuries had been rushed to Onitsha and St. Charles Borromeo hospitals for medical attention.