It was tears and wailings Friday at Umuokpo in Amairinabuo Community of Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State when no fewer than 20 persons who had rushed to scoop fuel from a fallen tanker were burnt to death as the tanker exploded leaving over 10 people with varying degrees of burn.
The incident which happened at kilometre 10 on the Aba/Ikot Ekpene Highway was said to have occurred when a Mack fuel tanker with the registration number ABIA: XA 976 KKE, heading towards Aba got stuck in mud as a result of bad road condition. The driver, in an attempt to pull the tanker with towing van fell and spilled the content.
According to a community leader, Chief Friday Erengwa, in whose house frontage the tanker fell; “Immediately the incident occurred, villagers rushed to scoop fuel and despite the fact that I came out from my house to warn them against the dangers inherent, they did not listen.
“Even, the driver of the tanker made every effort to dissuade the villagers from scooping fuel from the tanker, but they turned a deaf ear.”
It was gathered that some of the villagers were still scooping the product when a commuter bus going to Aba from the Ikot Ekpene wanted to pass through where the tanker had fallen. In the process the bus fell into a crater on the road, the exhaust pipe touched a hard surface of the road and ignited fire, which immediately spread to the nearby fallen tanker and burnt everything within its range.
At least, 10 persons with varying degrees of burn were said to be on danger list in a mission hospital in the area. (Credit: Sun)
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