About five people have been confirmed dead and over 70 vehicles, burnt in the tanker explosion at the Eleme section on the East-West Road in Rivers State on Friday night.
An eyewitness had said that the incident had come after a petrol-laden tanker which collided with a heavy-duty truck, spilled its contents and burst into flames.
The eyewitness had also divulged how the fire spread to a long stretch of vehicles plying the Akpajo-Onne Road following the gridlock that is now a usual occurrence on the road.
It was revealed that some of the deceased had lost their lives in the fire because they had been trapped in the vehicle.
Another eyewitness, a motorist driving on the road at the time who identified as Precious had said that the tragedy had occurred as a result of the ongoing reconstruction of the road which, according to him, had worsened the gridlock.
The spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, had while confirming the casualty figure on Saturday, said, that the Commissioner of Police and his team were on the ground to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order.
Sources from the Government House in Port Harcourt have said that the governor, Siminalayi Fubara, would be visiting the scene of the explosion to see things for himself on Saturday.
It’s been gathered that a team of firemen from the Indorama Petrochemical Company with the help of firemen from other private firms had battled for about two hours before the fire was put out.
