Nigeria Senate on Thursday lamented the Anambra State petrol tanker inferno which occurred at Onitsha with heavy human and material casualties.
In a sponsored motion by Senator Ifeanyi Uba and two others from Anambra State, the lawmakers regretted that the inferno, which happened on 16th was one too many, saying that the death toll was unacceptable.
They were saddened that a woman with her child, shops, buildings and business premises got burnt without intervention of the fire service.
“Further notes with sadness the death toll that accompanied the disaster especially the death of a woman and her child after sixteen years of childlessness.
The Senate condemned the magnitude of inferno, which lasted for four hours without intervention of fire service in the state, noting that the magnitude of casualties would have been lessened, if fire service men would have intervened.
Senator Theodore Orji representing Abia Central Senatorial district in his contribution condemned the incessant fire incident occasioned by the carelessness of fuel tanker drivers.
Upholding prayers of the motion, Senate President, Dr Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, commended the Federal Government for its promise to compensate the victims.
Senate also urged the Nigeria Police to work in conjunction with the Federal Road Safety Commission to investigate the causes of the inferno, adding that, “there should be financial support for the victims to enable them restart their businesses.”
