Tragedy in Enugu: Tanker Fire Leaves 18 Dead & Devastation Behind

Tragic events occurred in Enugu State on Saturday when a tanker exploded at Ugwu Onyeama, along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, in the Udi Local Government Area, killing at least 18 persons and injuring 13 more.

Around 11.30 a.m., a fuel-laden tanker was descending a slope when it struck a JUHEL Nigeria Limited water truck, causing an explosion that sent shockwaves through the community.

In a statement released on Saturday, Federal Road Safety Corps spokesperson Olusegun Ogungbemide said that 17 vehicles were involved in the collision, including a tricycle, 15 cars, a water tanker, and a gasoline tanker.
 

Preliminary reports from the FRSC state that the fuel tanker carrying premium motor spirit lost control after its brakes failed, causing a collision that led to a fire.

According to Ogungbemide, 31 people were engaged in the collision. Three managed to escape unharmed, while ten were retrieved with varied damage. Regretfully, the remaining eighteen victims were completely destroyed by fire.

According to the statement, the tanker's brakes failed and the driver lost control, causing it to collide with 17 other cars.

The Federal Road Safety Corps, state firemen, police officers, and other security personnel participated in the rescue effort.

While efforts were being made to evacuate the wreckage, traffic was rerouted to facilitate movement.

How the crash happened

The gasoline truck spilled its contents along the road, coating more than 17 power poles, according to witnesses.

The resulting fire, our journalists learned, spread quickly, devouring everything in its path.

According to information obtained by Sunday PUNCH, some of the dead were tourists who had traveled for the Christmas and New Year's holidays and were on their way back to their bases when the catastrophe occurred.
An eyewitness, who only gave his name as Anthony, called the explosion "destructive" and urged the Federal Government to give pipelines and railroad networks for the transportation of gasoline and other flammable goods first priority.

"Enough is enough. Every day, this tanker supply system is a recipe for tragedy. For us, it's no longer effective," Anthony remarked.

Rescue efforts were hampered by the fire's severity, making it challenging to save the people trapped in the vehicles, according to on-scene sympathizers.

A Toyota Camry, two Sienna buses, a tricycle, a Lexus SUV, a commuter bus, a minibus, an L300 bus, a low-bed truck with an excavator, and a Mack trailer truck were among the vehicles they cited as being involved in the tanker fire.
A reaction team has been sent to the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway to evaluate the situation, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.

Manzo Ezekiel, NEMA's Head of Media and Public Relations, told Sunday DOROTV that the development was confirmed.

This catastrophic tanker fire explosion highlights the significance of our awareness programs on the safe transportation of petroleum products, Ezekiel stated.

"To evaluate the urgent needs and offer assistance, our officers from the Enugu office have been sent to the scene."

He underlined the risks connected with delivering fuel via tankers and encouraged stakeholders to follow strong safety procedures.

This incident, which was allegedly brought on by a tire explosion, emphasizes how dangerous it is to handle flammable materials recklessly. We must keep informing operators and the public about these dangers, even though this case wasn't related to fuel scooping," he continued.

Shehu Mohammed, the Corps Marshal, sent his sympathies to the victims' families and wished the injured a quick recovery.

Additionally, he advised drivers to be cautious, especially when using other roads.

116 fatalities in a single week

The explosion happened a week after a similar occurrence that killed over 98 people in Suleja, Niger State.

Residents came to grab fuel after a truck carrying 60,000 liters of gasoline toppled at Dikko Junction during the Suleja fire. 98 residents perished in the ensuing fire.

In just one week, 116 people have died as a result of the Enugu tragedy.

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State all commented on the tragedy and demanded an immediate probe into the nation's regular tanker explosions.

Atiku expressed his sympathies to the impacted families and called the tragedy "heartbreaking."

He demanded a probe into tanker explosions, which he claimed were happening too frequently.

Tragic tanker explosions have escalated to emergency situations. Atiku said that it was time for the government to launch an investigation into this matter.

In a similar vein, Obi bemoaned the frequent tanker explosions and urged authorities to act quickly to stop additional property damage and fatalities.

He demanded more stringent safety laws to stop similar incidents in the future.
"By putting policies in place that significantly reduce the frequency of these accidents, which have already become too frequent, we must start to genuinely prioritize the safety and security of people and property.

"We must prioritize repairing our current roads, enforcing stringent traffic safety regulations, and training our citizens on adhering to the proper procedures at accident scenes," Obi stated.

Along with expressing his sympathies to the victims and their families, Saraki emphasized the importance of strengthening the implementation of safety regulations in the transportation of petroleum.

"These regular explosions bring up important issues about government oversight, driver education, vehicle maintenance, and road safety regulations.

 “Are ageing infrastructures, insufficient regulations, or human error contributing to these tragedies? Understanding these underlying causes is essential if we are to prevent more unnecessary loss of life,” Saraki said.