Abigail ErhiagbojeTragedy struck on Sunday during Nigeria’s Independence Day celebration as a petrol tanker exploded along the Benin-Warri Road, killing 12 people and razing scores of other vehicles.
Reportedly, eight buses, two trucks, five trailers, two cars, and one motorcycle were totally consumed by the fire.
The incident was said to have occurred when a tanker transporting fuel along the Benin-Warri Road fell and the content (fuel) spilled. At this point, youths around the area rushed to the scene with their containers and started scooping the fuel and in the process, fire sparked off, the Delta State Police Command Spokesman, Bright Edafe, confirmed.
Among the dead victims of the unfortunate incident were a pregnant woman, children, and other individuals according to an eyewitness.
Another eyewitness, while lamenting about the incident, called on the government to look into the issue of bad roads across the country which is one of the major causes of such accidents every year.
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Meanwhile, the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has sent out condolences to the families of the victims affected by the fire and also declared the intention of the state to help them.
The governor bemoaned the bad condition of Nigerian roads, especially federal roads, and called on the federal government to take urgent action to fix them.
In a video of the accident scene circulating online, a woman could be heard screaming, “See people on the floor, Nigeria!, Jesus!”.
Another woman who was travelling when the incident happened was heard lamenting that Nigerians are no longer sure of returning home or reaching their destination when they embark on a journey because of accidents caused by bad roads. “just to travel, Just to travel, Nigerians will not get home again. Just to go on a journey, Nigerians will not get home again. Movement is a human right. It is a human right to travel. It is a human right to move. To move has become a death trap. Moving has become a death trap in Nigeria. If you are not gotten by the kidnappers, the gridlock will catch the people. Look at dead bodies all over, dead bodies all over,” she lamented, apparently horrified by the incident.
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