Many passengers on the Benin-Sapele Road were killed yesterday in a multi-vehicle accident involving a tanker carrying gasoline and over 15 commercial and private automobiles.
The tanker was believed to have collapsed on its own while traveling between Ologbo in Edo State and Koko in Delta State. It quickly burst, razing surrounding automobiles that were stuck in the typical bottleneck on the failing road.
The catastrophe occurred in the early morning hours of the 63rd anniversary of Nigeria’s independence. According to unofficial sources, scores of individuals were killed by the raging inferno.
Confirming the disaster, Mr. Udeme Bassey Eshiet, Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Delta State, stated eight individuals were burned beyond recognition and seven others were injured. According to Eshiet, the accident involved 15 vehicles and was caused by a fuel explosion from a tanker that fell on its own.
A gruesome video that went viral showed roasted remains of victims and the carcasses of burnt vehicles. In the video, a voice described the deteriorating road as a national issue, saying that the failed section had become a death trap for Nigerians.
“Fuel and diesel tankers are failing here because of the gridlock occasioned by the bad road between Ologbo and Koko. This is a national crisis that needs the attention of all relevant authorities.
“People spend days here for a journey that should ordinarily not exceed 30 minutes. Right now, people are stranded because of the tanker that exploded, everybody around was consumed by the fire.
“Nigerians are dying in numbers on this road, the Benin-Sapele road is a nightmare. The federal government should come to the aid of commuters. We need help. Nigerians can no longer travel and arrive at their destinations. If kidnappers don’t attack, the bad will spell doom,” the voice said.
Meanwhile, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has expressed his sympathies to the families of those who were burned in yesterday’s tanker explosion at Koko junction on the Benin-Sapele expressway.
The governor expressed his condolences to the victims’ families in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, in Asaba.
He said that the State Emergency Management Agency, led by Commissioner for Special Duties Mr. Ejiro Terry, was already on the ground to assist and support the victims.
Governor Oborevwori, who blamed the regrettable tragedy on the bad status of federal highways, urged the Federal Government to move quickly to replace failed sections of the road.
He stated that citizens and commuters have had terrible experiences while traversing the road and urged officials to fix the road as soon as possible to avoid similar events like this.
The governor also took the opportunity to warn residents about the dangers of attempting to extract fuel off a downed truck, calling it a ticking time bomb.
He said: “In the early hours of today, we got information that an explosion occurred at Koko junction along the Warri-Benin expressway. On behalf of the government and people of Delta State, I commiserate with the families of the victims who lost their lives to the inferno.
“This sad and unfortunate incident would have been avoided if the Federal Government had lived up to their responsibility of maintaining their roads. While I mourn the deceased, I use this medium to reiterate my earlier call on the federal government to save the lives of our people from these harrowing experiences.
“I also use this medium to advise our people to refrain from the dangerous act of scooping fuel from a fallen tanker because of the highly inflammable nature of the product.”
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