A tanker explosion in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital has
claimed six lives and 13 others injured.
The dawn explosion reportedly occurred at Igwuruta Roundabout on the
road to the Port Harcourt International Airport when the tanker skidded off the
road and exploded. In the ensuing inferno, houses, cars and people were razed.
Angry youths attacked two fire vehicles for arriving about 30 minutes
after the blaze broke out.
Rivers state information commissioner Ibim Semenitari also said the
accident happened on the Port Harcourt airport road. "The driver of the
tanker lost control, forcing the vehicle to roll over and spilled petrol on the
road. This caused fire and a number of people were burnt to death," she
said. She said the emergency services had put out the inferno and took the
wounded to the hospital.
Petrol tanker accidents are common in oil-rich Nigeria where fuel is
distributed by trucks on the poorly-maintained inter-city roads.
Governor Rotimi Amaechi visited the scene and promised that his administration would assist victims of the inferno. He also ordered the immediate demolition of houses and shops close to the roundabout.
0 comments:
Post a Comment