A head-on collision between a petrol-laden tanker and another vehicle has resulted in an explosion that caused panic on the River Niger Bridge in Onitsha, Anambra State on Tuesday.
Anambra State Fire Chief, Martin Agbili, confirmed the incident and disclosed that the fire was extinguished around 9:30 pm.
A sources near the area revealed that the incident occurred at around 9 pm and was attributed to the alleged reckless driving of the tanker driver.
No lives were lost, but the incident caused significant disruption on the bridge as the resulting flames engulfed the surrounding area.
Firefighters and other rescue operators worked tirelessly to gain control of the situation.
The fire service said, “The information is accurate, although the fire had already been put out by 9:30 pm. It was caused by a head-on collision between two vehicles,” Agbili said.
“Firefighters and other rescue operators worked to extinguish the fire, and no lives were lost. The bridge remained undamaged. There is no need for panic.”
In a similar incident, a fallen petrol tanker at Awkuzu resulted in a severe traffic jam on Tuesday as commuters battled to reach their destinations.
The state fire chief, Martin Agbili, also confirmed this incident, stating that it occurred around 7:30 am.
“At approximately 7:30 am today, October 31, 2023, the Anambra State Fire Service received a distress call regarding a fallen petrol tanker in Awkuzu,” Agbili said.
“We immediately dispatched our firefighters and fire truck to the scene of the incident.
“Thankfully, no lives were lost as we were able to prevent the tanker from catching fire. We would like to express our appreciation to the Nigeria Police Force, Army, and FRSC for their efforts in controlling the crowd that were attempting to scoop petrol.
“We concluded our operations at the scene around 3:18 pm after ensuring the environment was safe.”
