Despite several warnings by the Delta State government for residents to stay away from scenes of fallen fuel tankers, some residents defiled the warning to scoop fuel from the scene of a fallen tanker in the State capital, Asaba.
There was palpable fear at Aku-Ufu Junction area of the State, directly opposite Sir Walks Motor Park, as some residents defied possible explosion to scoop petroleum product from the scene of the fallen tanker.
Residents said the incident occurred at about 8:00pm on Monday night September 9, 2024, as the petrol laden tanker overturned and fell, though, there was no life lost.
Trouble started ust after highlighting from the flyover heading from the Summit axis to Onitsha, Anambra State due to the bad portions of the road while the driver was trying to navigate his way through the bad spots before it fell on the road.
It was gathered that some residents stormed the scene with buckets, gallons and other available containers to scoop fuel from the tanker.
Some petty traders including Point of Service (POS), operators, Okpa sellers, provision shop owners, said their containers they use as at the time the tanker turned over got missing.
A phone accessory seller who narrated the incidence, said he saw residents of the areas scooping fuel while some others including tricycle operators, drivers and fuel attendants at the filling station close to the scene scampered for safety for fear of explosion.
Eyewitness account revealed that personnel of the State Fire Service responded very early to condole off the place while their fire fighting equipment were stationed to battle possible fire occurrence.
It was also learnt that the presence of the Fire Fighters, dispelled some residents who were still scooping fuel when they arrived.
In October 1, 2023, no fewer than six persons, vehicles and tankers, were set ablaze, following a tanker explosion at Koko junction, along Warri – Benin expressway.
It was learnt that the driver of the tanker was nowhere to be found after the tanker fell, although, some persons were seen around the fallen tanker this morning, Tuesday 10, 2024 while the fire service equipment belonging to the State was still on ground monitoring the situation.
The scene has caused heavy gridlock on the road as drivers coming from Benin, Summit, Ibusa and Koka end of the road finds it difficult to go through the road following the deplorable State of the road.
Meanwhile, some residents have blamed the State government for allowing that portion of the road to remain the way it is under claims that it is a federal road.
They lamented the negligence of the State government to fix or do a remedial work on federal roads that passes through the State.
They said if not for the timely intervention of the Fire Service Personnel, all the government knows how to do, is to mourn victims of such disasters.
Precisely, a middle age man who simply identified himself as Emeka, called on the government to as a matter of urgency, deplore engineers from the ministry of Works to the spot with the aim of fixing it and other roads with similar challenges instead of waiting for the federal government.
