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Steve Oko, Umuahia and Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki
There was pandemonium Wednesday evening at Ugwunchara area of Umuahia the Abia State capital as an empty petrol tanker loses control and plunges into shops on the road side.
The tanker marked APR 166 XA according to eye witnesses had finished discharging its content at the nearby petrol station and was on a wedge before it suddenly rolled back.
It knocked down electric pole before plunging into nearby shops on the slope.
But for providence owners of the shops would have been crushed to death.
Meanwhile motorists and their passengers plying the ever-busy Uzuakoli Road who saw the tanker rolling down the slop abandoned their vehicles and fled for dear lives.
Shouts of “Jesus, Jesus” rented the air as drivers and their passengers mostly traders returning from Ubani market at the outskirts of the city scampered for safety as they thought the tanker was laden with products.
The incident which occurred around 6 pm caused a traffic jam on the road, forcing many passengers who had already disembarked from their vehicles to trek home.
Security agents including soldiers whose vehicle had reportedly broken down around the vicinity were quickly drafted to the scene to help direct traffic.
When our correspondent arrived the scene people were seen in clusters discussing the incident while owners of the tanker were making frantic efforts to pull it out of the slope.
In the recent times, fallen petrol tankers have wreaked havocs in some cities including Onitsha and Lagos leading to loss of many lives and property worth billion of naira.
Meanwhile, some illegal mining sites operating in various parts of Ebonyi State have been discovered and shut down by the state government.
This was, according to the Special Assistant to Governor David Umahi on Solid Mineral Development, Edwin Onwe, who briefed newsmen in Abakaliki.
Onwe alleged that there had been an economic sabortage being perpetrated by these operators of illegal mining sites.
He alleged that solid minerals mined in the state were being smuggled out of the state through Cross River, Enugu and Abia.
