At the Ugwu-Onyeama axis of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway on Saturday, a fuel-laden tanker toppled and exploded, leaving eight vehicles burned and numerous commuters thought to be dead.
Okwudili Ohaa, the director of the Enugu State Fire Service, verified the event to the Enugu-based News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Mr. Ohaa informed NAN that the fire, which had been burning for more than an hour, had been put out by brave firefighters from the service.
He stated that as the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and other security officials work to evacuate the burned bodies of the victims, it is unclear how many people have been killed in the fire.
He claimed that eight or so cars were burned and that many other drivers must have been hurt as they rushed for their lives. “The suspected petroleum-ladened tanker fell and exploded into flames at about 11:30a.m. and the gallant firefighting officers from our 9th Mile Station immediately rushed to the scene; but got overwhelmed.
“I have to immediately send for re-enforcement from the Ogui Road and Government House Fire Stations that supported the 9th Mile team.
“It took the combined efforts of 10 experienced and gallant fire fighters to extinguish the fire before other paramilitary personnel came to evacuate corpses and rescue those injured to nearby hospitals,” he said.
The chief fire officer commended the public for promptly reporting the event to the state fire service.
Nonetheless, witnesses characterized the tanker explosion as catastrophic since it wrecked neighboring cars and sparked a generalized fear.
They added that the fire’s intensity—darkness and choking smoke—hampered early rescue attempts, making it hard for onlookers to reach the area until firefighters managed to contain the roaring conflagration.
They added that some vehicles and victims had been completely destroyed by fire.
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