THE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed the death of 18 and the survival of 13 persons in the fire incident involving a petroleum tanker in Enugu State on Saturday, January 25.
In a statement posted on its X handle Saturday night and signed by the corps public education officer, Olusegun Ogungbemide, an assistant corps marshal, the FRSC said the crash, which resulted from a break failure, involved 18 vehicles – the petrol tank truck, one water tanker, 15 other cars, and one tricycle.
“A total of 31 people were involved in the crash. 10 were rescued with different degrees of injuries while three got rescued unharmed.
“Unfortunately, the 18 remaining victims were burnt beyond recognition,” the FRSC said.
According to the statement, the tanker, loaded with petrol, experienced brake failure. The driver lost grip of the wheels before crashing into the vehicles, leading to a fire outbreak that left 11 vehicles burnt.
The statement said the state governor Peter Mbah, some of his cabinet members, the state police commissioner, the FRSC zonal commanding officer in charge of RS9 Enugu, and the state director of State Security Services (SSS) were among the people who participated in the rescue operations.
The FRSC corps marshal in Enugu, Franklin Agbakoba, called on motorists plying the road to exercise caution and use the alternative routes for safety and ease of vehicular movement while commiserating with the victims’ families and wished the injured a quick recovery.
The Enugu tanker incident occurred barely a week after a similar incident at the Dikko Junction in Niger State claimed over 98 lives.
A tanker carrying 60,000 litres of petrol overturned, spilling its contents as residents gathered to scoop fuel. The ensuing inferno left 98 people killed with several others burnt and receiving treatment at the hospital.