The Commissioner of Police in Delta State Command, Wale Abass, on October 1, 2023, commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives in the explosion which resulted from the crash of a tanker laden with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol.
The police commissioner’s condolence message was made known by the Police Public Relations in the state, DSP Bright Edafe, in a statement.
The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of the day when the tanker being driven towards Benin along Warri-Benin Road fell on getting to Ugbenu Koko Junction.
Thenewsbearer learnt that its content spilled into a nearby swamp, which attracted some youths who took advantage of the incident and started scooping the fuel into jerry cans and other containers.
As they were scooping the fuel, an explosion reportedly erupted,with fire from it engulfing the whole area.
Sadly, the fire outbreak was said to have claimed lives of some youths who were scooping the spilled fuel.
The fire outbreak also consumed several property including the fallen tanker, eight buses of different brands, two tankers, five trailers, two motorcycles, a Toyota Sienna space bus and a ‘C’ class Mercedes Benz car.
The fire also consumed the number plates of all affected vehicles, with the registration numbers not clearly visible.
The remains of the victims were said to have been evacuated and deposited in Oghara General Hospital’s mortuary.
Policemen from Oghara Police Division, in colloboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps {FRSC} at Ethiope West Local Government Area had made efforts to clear the road of obstructions and ensure free flow of traffic.
The PPRO said that CP Abass expressed displeasure at the youths not learning from past occurrences learn from past occurences, advising Nigerians to do away with greed.
He also enjoined the people to avoid scenes where there is an occurence of oil spillage, as it pose a serious threat to lives.
CP Abass also expressed appreciation to the FRSC for working hand-in-hand with the Command in assuring convenience to all road users.
