5 dead, over 70 cars burnt in Rivers tanker explosion

At least five individuals have tragically lost their lives, and more than 70 vehicles have been engulfed in flames due to a tanker explosion on the Eleme section of the East-West Road in Rivers State on Friday night.

According to an eyewitness named Baridi, the incident occurred when a petrol-laden tanker collided with a heavy-duty truck, leading to the spillage of its contents and subsequent ignition.

Baridi recounted the chaos that ensued, describing how the fire rapidly spread along the Akpajo-Onne Road, affecting numerous vehicles trapped in the gridlock exacerbated by ongoing road construction.

He mentioned, “Due to the poor condition of the road, many vehicles had no alternative route, resulting in them being ensnared by the fire. Tragically, some individuals attempting to flee the inferno were unable to escape and perished.”

Another motorist named Precious shared his harrowing experience, detailing how he encountered a massive traffic jam near Akpajo bridge, only to realize the severity of the situation when people started fleeing and shouting warnings about the fire.

Precious expressed frustration over the road reconstruction efforts, blaming the lack of adequate access and the slow pace of work for exacerbating the gridlock and contributing to the tragedy.

Confirming the casualty count, State Police Command spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko stated, “Currently, the death toll stands at approximately five individuals. The Commissioner of Police and his team worked diligently last night to maintain law and order at the scene.”

In response to the incident, Governor Siminalayi Fubara is slated to visit the site on Saturday to assess the situation firsthand, as revealed by a source from the Government House, Port Harcourt.

Since Friday night, a team comprising the State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, officers from the Eleme Police Division, and personnel from the Federal Road Safety Corps has been present at the scene.

Additionally, firefighting efforts, spearheaded by teams from the Indorama Petrochemical Company and supported by personnel from other private firms, persisted for approximately two hours until the blaze was finally extinguished.