From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Charred vehicles are still at the gory site of the explosion. The carcass of the exploded tanker is also visible. Although many roasted human bodies had been evacuated, the image of the catastrophic incident looms large.
No fewer than 20 persons, including a pregnant woman and children, were said to have been badly burnt to death on October 1 following a tanker explosion at the popular Koko junction on the deplorable Benin-Sapele Road.
The casualty figure could be higher, even as authorities released contrasting figures in the wake of the unfortunate incident. While the Delta State Police Command put the figure at five, the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) said eight burnt bodies were recorded.
A viral video recording of the gory scene sighted by our correspondent showed roasted bodies on the ground, a reminiscence of the October 18, 1998 Jesse pipeline explosion which was said to have claimed over 1,000 lives.
Like the Jesse tragic episode, the cause of the latest blast which occurred at about 12.15am on the fateful Sunday, is being debated.
Unconfirmed reports said the ill-fated tanker laden with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, overturned while meandering through the bad road and spilled its contents, adding that a spark from a malfunctioning vehicle ignited the fuel.
According to the report, the resulting fire consumed nearby vehicles with some of them carrying passengers. The vehicles were trapped in the gridlock that has become a regular feature on the road due to its dilapidated condition.
But a statement by the Public Relations Officer of Delta State Police Command, DSP Bright Edafe, said the PMS laden tanker heading towards Benin fell down upon getting to Ugbenu Koko Junction.
“Its content spilled into the nearby swamp, and the spillage attracted a couple of youths who took advantage of the incident and started scooping the fuel into jerry cans and other containers. While they were at it, an explosion erupted and the fire from the explosion engulfed the whole area.
“The fire claimed the lives of five persons amongst the youths who had come to scoop the spilled fuel, and also combusted several properties including the fallen tanker, eight buses of different makes, two tankers, five trailers, two motorcycles, one siena space bus, and one ‘C’ Class Mercedes Benz car,” he stated.
Witnesses said as at the time the contents spilled from the tumbled tanker, locals rushed to the scene on a scavenging mission, adding that the desperate locals, mostly youths, ignored warnings from nearby drivers and security personnel.
Yusuf, one of the witnesses, recounted the horrific scene, noting that he counted over 20 bodies, adding that the explosion caused immediate chaos and panic as some of them scampered into the forest for safety.
“We tried to prevent them but the youths threatened to beat us up telling us it’s their community. They came in their numbers carrying all sorts of containers and when the explosion happened around 12.15am, we fled,” Yusuf said.
Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Delta State, Mr. Udeme Bassey Eshiet, confirmed that the unfortunate incident was a multiple accident involving the overturned tanker and 15 nearby vehicles.
Eshiet attributed the cause of the carnage to fuel explosion from the tanker that fell on its own, adding that eight bodies were burnt beyond recognition while seven others were injured.
Meanwhile, a voice in the recorded video described the dilapidated road as a national crisis, saying 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 destination. If kidnappers don’t attack, the bad will spell doom,” the voice said.
Meanwhile, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has re-echoed his call on the Federal Government to urgently fix the deplorable Benin-Sapele highway, a federal road connecting communities, cities and states within the Niger Delta region.
Oborevwori, in his condolences to the families of victims, who got burnt in the disaster following a tanker explosion on Sunday, blamed the unfortunate incident on the poor state of federal roads.
In the statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary in Asaba, Festus Ahon, Oborevwori 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 ugly incidents.
“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,” the governor said.
Also, the state Commissioner of Police, Wale Abass extended his condolence to the families of those who lost their lives in this unfortunate event.
Abass in a statement by the command’s image maker, DSP Bright Edafe expressed “displeasure in the inexorable perversity of Nigerians, especially the youths,” stating that it was “sad that we never learn from past occurrences, since this isn’t the first time such incident has happened.
“Nonetheless, we appeal that Nigerians should do away with greed and avoid scenes where there is an occurrence of oil spillages as it poses a serious threat to their lives and the lives of others.”
On his part, former Minister of State for Education and Delta State governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Kenneth Gbagi, also commiserated with families of victims who lost their lives and property in a fatal explosion.
Gbagi who spoke through his media aide, Orusi Kenneth, described the incident as a sad development, saying that the incident was most unfortunate and regrettable.
“On behalf of my family and the SDP in Delta State, we extend our deepest commiseration to the families of persons who lost their lives as well as properties to the incident.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them in this time of pain and grief. The state and federal governments should not relent in putting measures in place to ensure safety of lives and property of all citizens,” Gbagi said.
Gbagi used the medium to call on citizens to avoid scooping fuel from fallen tankers, as it is dangerous whenever such a situation occurs.