CP Wale Abass
By Jon Egie
Five persons have been lost to a fuel-gas explosion that occurred in the early hours of Sunday, October 1st 2023 at Ugbenu-Koko Junction of Delta State.
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Police report said at about 2 am of the same day a tanker loaded with PMS moving towards Benin along Warri-Benin Road tripped at Ugbenu Koko Junction and spilled Its content into the nearby swamp.
The spillage attracted couple of youths who took advantage of the incident and started scooping the spilled fuel into jerry cans and other containers.
While they were at it, an explosion, obviously from the fuel gas that had subsumed the area, occured resulting in a conflagration that spread across the whole area combusting everything on its path.
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” The fire claimed the lives of five persons amongst the youths who had come to scoop the spilled fuel, and also combusted several properties which include the following: the fallen tanker, Eight buses of different make, Two Tankers, Five Trailers, Two Motorcycles, One Siena space bus, and one ‘C’ Class Mercedes Benz car.” The police statement issued by the Delta State Police Command’s PPRO, DSP Bright Edafe said.
All victims including the vehicles were burnt beyond recognition but the charred bodies of the human casualties have been evacuated to the mortuary facility at Oghara General Hospital.
Policemen attached to Oghara Division and men of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC were seen synergizing concerted efforts to clear the gridlock occasioned by the incident to allow free flow of traffic
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In the light of this tragic incident, the Delta State Police Commissioner, CP Wale Abass has extended his condolence to the families of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident.
He called on youths and other well meaning Nigerians to avoid greed and be conscious of the dangers inherent at scenes of spilled PMS recalling the neighbouring Jesse community fire disaster episode that claimed over 2000 lives years ago
