11 Killed In Enugu Petrol Tanker Explosion 

At least 11 persons were killed when a petrol-laden tanker exploded along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway on Saturday.

The tanker was said to have suffered brakes failure, tumbled, and had its content spilled, erupting in an explosion.

Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, expressed sadness over the accident during an on-the-spot assessment. He claimed that the state would take steps to prevent future incidents, including enforcing road rules and fixing the damaged portion of the state’s highway.

Describing the accident as unfortunate, Mbah commiserated with the families of the dead and injured victims.

He further asked the Federal Road Safety Commission’s Sector Commander in the state, Franklin Agbakoba, and the State Commissioner for Transport, Obi Ozor, to ensure that all tankers conveying inflammable substances in the state have anti-spill locks that will prevent spills in case of accident.

“The investigation is still in its infancy. It includes law enforcement and the police. To fully understand the true cause of the accident, he said, “we want to get to the root of this.”

The FRSC Sector Commander for Enugu explained that the tanker’s spill was the result of a fuel tanker’s failure of the brakes while briefing the governor on some of the preliminary inquiries.

11 people died at the scene, according to him, and dozens of injured road users were taken to a hospital for treatment.

At least 86 persons died and 55 others were injured on Saturday, January 18, 2025, whilst scooping fuel from a fallen tanker in Niger State.

At least five people were killed earlier in the Delta State Agbor area in January 2025 when a tanker loaded with gasoline lost control and blew up in flames.

In October 2024, a fuel tanker explosion in Jigawa State killed more than 170 people, with scores injured.

Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa, is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation, when tanker explosions occurred at a time when petrol has become a precious commodity.

Since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took office in May 2023, its price has increased more than fivefold. Many people are having trouble getting gas.

Inflation has been peaking at more than 30 per cent for months, reaching an almost three-decade high of over 34 per cent in June, down to 32.7 per cent in September.

More than half — 56 per cent — of Nigerians are living under the poverty line, up from 40 per cent in 2018, according to a World Bank report.

Source: Channels TV