Onitsha in Flames: Over 40 houses, 500 shops razed in fuel fire Outbreak

Many people were trapped and feared dead, yesterday, while scores of persons sustained injuries in Onitsha, Anambra State, as a petrol-laden tanker lost control, crashed into Toronto Hospital at Upper Iweka, along Enugu-Onitsha Expressway and burst into flames.

The incident, which occurred at about 12 noon, is the second tanker accident at same spot, that had claimed over 50 lives this year.

The latest victim among others, who lost their lives, was a pregnant woman and her three-year-old baby strapped to her back.

Woman, child die in 

According to an eyewitness, the woman had escaped, but went back to her shop to rescue her money.

The source stated that the flames, which followed the flow of fuel in the drainage, touched wooden bridge to her shop and as she stepped on it on getting out of the shop, the wood caved in and she fell into the drainage with the child on her back.

Efforts to rescue her proved abortive, as the flames leaping out of the fuel-filled drainage scared off sympathisers.

The fire from the explosion also consumed about 40 buildings, affected over 500 lock-up shops along the Iweka Road Street Market and spread to Ochanja and Menax markets.

The incident, which sparked confusion among residents and traders, reportedly occurred when the tanker laden with petrol lost control opposite Toronto Hospital Onitsha, while descending Zik Roundabout end of Onitsha- Enugu Expressway and veered off the service lane, with the fuel tanker pulling off the truck head and spilling its content, which caught fire.