Scores of people have reportedly been burnt to death in a petrol tanker accident that occurred on Saturday morning at Ugwu Onyama Federal Highway in Enugu State.
Several others were reportedly injured in the inferno, which also destroyed numerous vehicles.
An eyewitness, a tanker driver named Eziechina, told SaharaReporters that the tragic incident claimed many lives.
He said: “Yes, there was a big tragedy this afternoon at Ugwu Onyama Federal Highway. A tanker carrying premium motor spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, fell at the hilly road and spilled the product down the road. Unfortunately, it caught fire and all the vehicles plying the road at the time caught fire and burned people beyond recognition.
“As I am speaking with you, over 10 people including children have been burnt beyond recognition. Some have just been loaded in a pick-up van to the morgue now. So many others have been loaded in a vehicle and taken to a morgue earlier. As we speak, there’s no road through Ugwu Onyama.
“I am trapped somewhere in Ngwo. The situation is tragic. The second lane of the road is impassable. The fire raged along the road leading to Agu-abor.”
This incident follows a similar tragedy just a week ago. Scores of people, including a pregnant woman, were killed in a tanker explosion at Dikko in Niger State, near the nation’s capital, Abuja.
This incident occurred last Saturday morning near Dikko Junction along Minna Road, resulting in the deaths of at least 98 people and injuries to many others.
