The Oil Tanker Explosion had put everybody in panic
An oil tanker, belonging to Con
Oil Plc yesterday, exploded into
flames killing five people, while
about 20 others were in critical
condition with severe burns at
the Okpoga General hospital in
Okpokwu Local Government Area
of Benue State.
The explosion, it was gathered,
occured when some residents of
the town approached the scene
where the tanker had
overturned after skidding off
the road with fuel gushing out
from it.
Following this, the tanker was
said to have caught fire and
exploded in the process, killing
three people instantly, while two
others died at the hospital.
Chairman of the local
government area, Mr. Robert
Idoko, who was on hand
alongside the state Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman,
Dr. Emmanuel Agbo, to ascertain
the level of damage caused by
the explosion, said most of the
victims were mostly women and
children.
He described the incident as
unfortunate, adding that:
“Everybody is in shock with
what happened but we shall do
our best to ensure those who
are alive in the hospital get
adequate treatment.”
He further urged the state
government as well as other
Nigerians to come to the aid of
the victims. However, efforts to
get the state Commissioner of
Police to comment on the
incident proved abortive as he
was said to be indisposed.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker
representing the local
government area in the state
House of Assembly, Hon. Olofu
Ogwuche, has called on the
federal government to impress
on the contractor handling the
Otukpo-Enugu road to hasten the
completion of the project
because “as it is, the durability of
the Otukpo-Utonkon-Okpoga-
Ugbokolo rural road constructed
by the Governor Gabriel Suswam
administration can no more be
guaranteed.”
“All motorists coming from the
East and those from Makurdi
now use the road as a by-pass to
and from Enugu.
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And it is obvious that the design
and construction of the road did
not take cognisance of this kind
of heavy traffic and that
accounts for this kind of
unfortunate accident,” Ogwuche
said.
Also, the Vice-Chairman of the
council, Hon. Sunny Ebute, called
on the Federal Government to
speed up the repairs being
carried out on the Otukpo-Enugu
road, stressing that the contract
for the construction of the road
was awarded four years ago.
An oil tanker, belonging to Con
Oil Plc yesterday, exploded into
flames killing five people, while
about 20 others were in critical
condition with severe burns at
the Okpoga General hospital in
Okpokwu Local Government Area
of Benue State.
The explosion, it was gathered,
occured when some residents of
the town approached the scene
where the tanker had
overturned after skidding off
the road with fuel gushing out
from it.
Following this, the tanker was
said to have caught fire and
exploded in the process, killing
three people instantly, while two
others died at the hospital.
Chairman of the local
government area, Mr. Robert
Idoko, who was on hand
alongside the state Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman,
Dr. Emmanuel Agbo, to ascertain
the level of damage caused by
the explosion, said most of the
victims were mostly women and
children.
He described the incident as
unfortunate, adding that:
“Everybody is in shock with
what happened but we shall do
our best to ensure those who
are alive in the hospital get
adequate treatment.”
He further urged the state
government as well as other
Nigerians to come to the aid of
the victims. However, efforts to
get the state Commissioner of
Police to comment on the
incident proved abortive as he
was said to be indisposed.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker
representing the local
government area in the state
House of Assembly, Hon. Olofu
Ogwuche, has called on the
federal government to impress
on the contractor handling the
Otukpo-Enugu road to hasten the
completion of the project
because “as it is, the durability of
the Otukpo-Utonkon-Okpoga-
Ugbokolo rural road constructed
by the Governor Gabriel Suswam
administration can no more be
guaranteed.”
“All motorists coming from the
East and those from Makurdi
now use the road as a by-pass to
and from Enugu.
Please enter your comment below
And it is obvious that the design
and construction of the road did
not take cognisance of this kind
of heavy traffic and that
accounts for this kind of
unfortunate accident,” Ogwuche
said.
Also, the Vice-Chairman of the
council, Hon. Sunny Ebute, called
on the Federal Government to
speed up the repairs being
carried out on the Otukpo-Enugu
road, stressing that the contract
for the construction of the road
was awarded four years ago.
