Another Petrol Tanker Explosion Rocks Anambra

The Federal Road Safety Corps, Anambra Command, on Friday, said no casualty was recorded when a petrol tanker burnt at Upper Iweka in Onitsha.

The state Sector Commander, Mr Andrew Kumapayi, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the tanker loaded with 33,000 litres of petrol with no registration number, caught fire about 2:30 am on Friday.

“The tanker caught fire due to electrical fault in the engine of the vehicle. The driver started shouting ‘fire! fire!’ The neighbouring houses tried their best to put out the fire.

“But the fire servicemen, FRSC officials and policemen responded promptly and the fire has been extinguished. No casualty or injury was recorded.

“Officers of the FRSC are diverting traffic and cordoning the scene to avoid running into the carcass and the fire service vehicles,” he said.

A similar incident happened, on Thursday, when a truck loaded with goods going to Enugu caught fire along UNIZIK Main Gate, Awka-Enugu Expressway about 2:30 pm.

Kumapayi told NAN that the FRSC patrol team alerted the state fire service, which responded and was able to put out the fire.

“The vehicle, which loaded from Onitsha Main Market, was heading to Cameroon. The Driver, Mr Chimezie Aneke, said they were travelling with the manager of the company and two others.

“Some of the goods in the vehicle included AC gas cylinders, perfumes, cosmetics, grinding machines, soaps. There was no injury, ” Kumapayi said.

(NAN)