Petrol tanker explodes, kills 60 persons in Calabar –as govt. donates to victims

No fewer than 60  persons were feared dead yesterday when a tanker loaded with Petroleum product fell and exploded along Odukpani LGA  axis of the Ikom-calabar Highway near the Federal Housing estate, Calabar, Cross River.

The victims were scooping fuel from the tanker when it went up in flames.

An eyewitness, Mr Slyvester Ilem who narrated how the tragedy occurred said;  “I saw  people  running to the scene with gallons and other containers to scoop fuel  after the tanker veered off the road into a ditch by the roadside.

“Police officers from Odukpani Division also tried to cordon-off the area but the people refused and continued to scoop fuel. The rest is now history as the tanker burst into flames and engulfed all the people near and within the radius that the product had spread to.

“Let me be modest, the people scooping that fuel will not be less than 60 to 70 people because it was like a market place,” he said.

When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Irene Ugbo confirmed the incident adding that they had earlier warned the victims who took advantage of the illegal act but they were all dead now.

“Our men from Odukpani Division went there to cordon-off the area but the people refused and continued scooping fuel and before we knew it, the place was already in flames. As we speak, we cannot confirm the number of deceased persons because the fire is still heavy. It is only when the fire subsides that we can account for the victims, and give analysis of what happened there,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Cross River Government has donated medical equipment to the emergency ward of the University Of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) to aid the victims of the fuel tanker explosion.

The equipment included cartons of intravenous fluids, hand sanitizers, wound dressing equipment among others.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Inyang Asibong, who donated the equipment to the hospital on Saturday in Calabar, described the incident as `tragic and sudden’.

Asibong said that the visit to the hospital was to access the situation and donate the equipment for the treatment of the survivors.

She explained that as soon as the victims were brought into the hospital, the ministry had to mobilise its personnel to join their colleagues in the UCTH to respond timely to the victims.

“As a state, we are sad over the death of dozens of persons who lost their lives while trying to scoop fuel from a fallen tanker at Odukpani.

“People must stop the act of scooping fuel whenever a tanker falls in their area. Many persons have died in the past through this.

“We would do everything possible as a state to make sure that we don’t lose these ones,” she said.

The commissioner commiserated with the families of those that lost their lives, praying that the survivors that are currently receiving treatment should not lose their lives.

She advised residents of the state to always call on competent authorities to manage such emergency cases.

Prof. Thomas Agan, the Chief Medical Director of UCTH, said in an interview that 18 persons were brought into the hospital on Friday night.

Agan explained that out of the 18 victims, 15 were adults while three were children, adding that one victim died on arrival while another one died later at night.

“As we speak, we have 16 victims in our facility. 18 victims were brought in for treatment and two of them have died.

“The 16 victims are fairly stable. We need support from corporate bodies, individuals and groups because we have exhausted our internal consumables,” he said.

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