At least 11 persons were killed when a petrol-laden tanker exploded along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway on Saturday.
The tanker was said to have suffered brake failure, tumbled, and had its content spilled, erupting in an explosion.
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, expressed sadness over the accident during an on-the-spot assessment. He said those injured were receiving medical attention and that the state would take steps to forestall future occurrences, including enforcement of road rules and fixing the part of the federal road that was in disrepair.
Describing the accident as unfortunate, Mbah commiserated with the families of the dead and injured victims.
He further asked the Federal Road Safety Commission’s Sector Commander in the state, Franklin Agbakoba, and the State Commissioner for Transport, Obi Ozor, to ensure that all tankers conveying inflammable substances in the state have anti-spill locks that will prevent spills in case of accident.
“Investigation is still at the preliminary stage. The police and other law enforcement agencies are on it. We want to get to the root of this for us to understand the true cause of the accident,” he said.
While briefing the governor on some of the preliminary investigations conducted by the FRSC Sector Commander for Enugu explained that the tanker spill was as a result of a brakes failure by the fuel tanker.
He added that 11 persons lost their lives at the scene, while identified injured road users were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
At least 86 persons died and 55 others were injured on Saturday, January 18, 2025, whilst scooping fuel from a fallen tanker in Niger State.
Earlier in January 2025, at least five persons were killed when a tanker ladened with petrol lost control and burst into flames in the Agbor area of Delta State.
In October 2024, a fuel tanker explosion in Jigawa State killed more than 170 people, with scores injured.
Tanker explosions occurred in Nigeria at a time when petrol has become a precious commodity in Africa’s most populous country, which is suffering its worst economic crisis in a generation.
Many are struggling to get access to gasoline, as its price has spiked more than fivefold since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took office in May 2023.
Inflation has been peaking at more than 30 per cent for months, reaching an almost three-decade high of over 34 per cent in June, down to 32.7 per cent in September.
More than half — 56 per cent — of Nigerians are living under the poverty line, up from 40 per cent in 2018, according to a World Bank report.
At least 59 people died in September 2024 when a fuel tanker collided with a truck carrying passengers and cattle in northwestern Niger state.
