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• Oborevwori mourns, urges FG to fix road
From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Many commuters plying the Benin-Sapele Road were killed yesterday, in a multiple auto crash involving a tanker laden with petrol and over 15 commercial and private vehicles.
The tanker was said to have fallen on its own while meandering through the deplorable portion between Ologbo in Edo State and Koko in Delta State. It immediately exploded, resulting in the razing of nearby vehicles, which were trapped in the usual gridlock on the failed road.
The accident occurred during the wee hours of the day, which was the 63rd anniversary of Nigeria’s independence. Unofficial sources said scores of people were burnt to death as they were trapped in the raging inferno.
Confirming the accident, however, Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Delta State, Mr. Udeme Bassey Eshiet, said eight people were burnt beyond recognition, with seven others sustaining injuries. Saying that 15 vehicles were involved in the crash, Eshiet attributed the cause of the accident to fuel explosion from the tanker that fell on its own.
In a gory video which went viral, roasted bodies of victims and the carcasses of burnt vehicles were recorded. A voice in the recorded video described the dilapidated road as a national crisis, adding that the failed portion has become a death trap for Nigerians.
Fuel and diesel tankers are failing here because of the gridlock occasioned by the bad road between Ologbo and Koko. This is a national crisis that needs the attention of all relevant authorities.
“People spend days here for a journey that should ordinarily not exceed 30 minutes. Right now, people are stranded because of the tanker that exploded, everybody around was consumed by the fire.
“Nigerians are dying in numbers on this road, the Benin-Sapele road is a nightmare. The federal government should come to the aid of commuters. We need help. Nigerians can no longer travel and arrive at their destinations. If kidnappers don’t attack, the bad will spell doom,” the voice said.
Meanwhile, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has sent his condolences to the families of victims who got burnt, following a tanker explosion at Koko junction, along Benin-Sapele expressway, yesterday.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, in Asaba, the governor commiserated with the victims’ families on the sad incident.
He disclosed that the State Emergency Management Agency, led by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Ejiro Terry, was already at the scene to provide help and support for the victims.
Governor Oborevwori, who blamed the unfortunate incident on the poor state of federal roads, once again called on the Federal Government to expedite action in reconstructing failed portions of the road.
He said citizens of the state and commuters encounter harrowing experiences navigating the road and called on the authorities to, as a matter of utmost importance and urgency, fix the road to avoid further incidents like this.
The governor also used the opportunity to caution 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.
He said: “In the early hours of today, we got information that an explosion occurred at Koko junction along the Warri-Benin expressway. On behalf of the government and people of Delta State, I commiserate with families of the victims who lost their lives to the inferno.
“This sad and unfortunate incident would have been avoided if the Federal Government had lived up to their responsibility of maintaining their roads. While I mourn the deceased, I use this medium to reiterate my earlier call on the federal government to save the lives of our people from these harrowing experiences.
“I also use this medium to advise our people to refrain from the dangerous act of scooping fuel from a fallen tanker because of the highly inflammable nature of the product”.
