More Than 20 Burnt To Death in Petrol Tanker Explosion in Delta

More than 20 persons, including children, have died in a petrol tanker explosion along the Warri-Benin expressway in Delta State.

Those who died in the explosion on Sunday morning, were burnt beyond recognition

Several vehicles were also gutted by fire during the explosion at Koko junction in Warri.

Witnesses said the tanker fell while its driver was attempting to avoid a pothole.

Scores of people who rushed to the scene with containers and kegs, started scooping petrol from the fallen tanker.

A spark from one of the vehicles ignited the fire which engulfed the tanker which then exploded.

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A trader in the area alleged that over 20 bodies were burnt in the inferno, including three children and a pregnant woman.

He said, “I was in my shop when
I heard the tanker fell. People were scooping fuel from it when the fire started after a spark from a phone. Three children died and we have counted over 20 bodies. A pregnant woman who wanted to buy the fuel also died.

“Security men tried to prevent them but the youths were not bothered because it is their community.

They came in their numbers carrying all sorts of containers.
“You can see dead bodies on the ground, some of them ran into the forest, As I speak to you, some dead bodies have been removed,” he said.

Meanwhile, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has sent his condolences to the families of victims who got burnt.

The governor blamed the unfortunate incident on the poor state of federal roads and once again called on the federal government to expedite action in reconstructing failed portions of the road.
He also cautioned the people against taking the risk of attempting to scoop fuel from a fallen tanker, adding that it was a time bomb waiting to explode.

In a statement by his chief press secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, in Asaba, the governor commiserated with the victims’ families on the sad incident.