Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Not less than four persons have been feared dead after a tanker conveying Compressed Natural Gas lost control and tipped over at the Obiri-Ikwerre flyover in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, bursting into flames.
SweetCrude Reports gathered that the accident which occurred around 10am in the morning, involved a gas tanker that fell over a car on the Obiri-Ikwerre Interchange Flyover and exploded.
Eye witnesses say the tanker fell over another vehicle with passengers, adding that while the truck driver escaped unhurt, occupants of the second vehicle were not so lucky as they were killed by the inferno.
An eyewitness identified as Solomon, said operatives of the fire service who arrived at the scene at the nick of time extinguished the fire and stopped it from escalating to nearby vehicles.
“The incident happened around 10am but personnel of security agencies and emergency responders came and condoned off the area with caution tapes, diverting traffic to an alternative route.
“Police operatives were also on ground working hard to ward off suspected scavengers who attempted to capitalise on the chaos to steal parts from the wreckage as scraps.”
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer for the Rivers State Police Command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the incident, however claimed that only two persons lost their lives to the accident.
Iringe-Koko disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Tunji Disu and other senior police officers were on ground to restore order, adding that an investigation had been launched to unravel the circumstances that caused the accident.
“Yes I can confirm that two persons died in the tanker fire. Myself and the Commissioner of Police are on the ground as I speak to you.
“The fire has been put out but the area is still dangerous because the gas is still licking.
So motorists are advised to take alternative routes to avoid any further casualty. The investigation is ongoing.”
Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has visited the site of the gas tanker explosion.
The Governor, who was conducted round the scene by his Special Adviser on Environmental Sanitation, Prince Obi Ohia, was briefed on how fire service men responded promptly to contain the situation from escalation.
At the time of the visit, charred remains of the tanker were seen at the accident location, with heavy duty crane attempting to tow it off the road to a safer place.
