A tanker explosion at Ore, in the Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria, resulted in a pregnant woman, her three children, and others being burned to death, according to new information that was made public yesterday.
The tanker explosion was due to its crashing and spilling fuel while carrying a pregnant woman, her three children, and 18 other people, who were reportedly scooping fuel from it.
According to reports, the tanker’s driver lost control after going too fast and crashed into a ditch on Showboy Road in Ore, in front of the Optima gas station, on Sunday night.
In an interview with residents of the community, one Tijani Diekola stated: “I arrived here a short while after the tanker explosion and found some burned corpses on the ground, but the atmosphere was so tense that nobody could get any closer to the scene.
“It was the next morning that some relatives of the victims were able to recover the corpses of the affected persons. None of them survived the incident because most were burned beyond reasonable measures.
“While those near the tanker explosion scene were unrecognisable, I came across about 10 burned bodies. The Federal Road Safety Commission officials placed them inside sacks.
Around 4:30 p.m., the tanker driver lost control of the vehicle and drove into a ditch. People began flocking to the scene of the incident, scooping the fuel until the heinous incident occurred around 6 p.m.
“What actually happened was that the fuel started spilling into a stream in the community while the residents continued to scoop the fuel with buckets and kegs until the tanker explosion occurred.
“Unfortunately, a woman was cooking in her kitchen when the flammable product on the water caught fire, killing her while the fire flew back to the tanker explosion scene.”
“A pregnant woman crossing the stream with three other minors was caught in the fire and burned beyond recognition.
“No one could intervene to save them.” Other people who were close to the tanker explosion scene were also harmed. Their ashes were packed this morning (yesterday).
Another local, Awalu Saliu from Sokoto State, told reporters, “The tanker fell around 4:30 p.m.
“I heard about it, and I rode to this place from the town. Many people were scooping fuel. The rain had stopped.
“I parked my motorcycle and came down. After some time, we heard a sound like ‘boom.’ The fire started coming. There was another ‘boom, and we saw fire coming.
“Over 100 people who were scooping fuel directly from the tanker fled.” I also ran. I saw people carrying fuel and being trailed by the fire.
” Many people would have died if the fire had started in the tanker, but it started where the water flowed to the residence of a woman who was cooking. The woman died instantly.”
Meanwhile, Ezekiel Son-Allah, the state Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, confirmed that only eight people scooping fuel died in the fire.
Son-Allah stated that they were burned as a result of the tanker explosion.
According to him, a white fuel tanker with no registration number lost control due to overspeeding. Residents from a nearby village stormed the scene and began scooping fuel spilling before the tanker explosion.
“But unfortunately, the tanker explosion killed the eight people who were scooping fuel.”
The tanker driver and motor boy, according to the FRSC boss, were able to leave the area unharmed.
He claimed that the victims’ remains had been placed at the General Hospital in Ore’s mortuary by the FRSC rescue team.