A tanker driver and his conductor were burnt to death on Thursday when a gas-laden truck exploded at Ohoro community, along the East-West Road in the Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.
Eyewitnesses said the victims were burnt beyond recognition, just as vehicles and buildings worth millions of naira were destroyed by the fire, which occurred around 2:25am.
When our correspondent visited the scene, he observed as residents of the agrarian locality bemoaned their losses, with thousands of villagers rendered homeless.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the incident happened when a trailer carrying granite rammed into a stationary truck said to be filled with diesel.
The fire from the accident was said to have caught the gas-laden truck, which ran into the scene of the accident.
The three heavy-duty trucks involved were all burnt in the fire.
Firefighters were still battling the inferno as of the time of filing this report.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe, confirmed the incident, adding that from the report he got, “it’s one person that died.”
Meanwhile, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, who visited the scene of the explosion, commiserated with the Ohoro Uwheru community over their losses.
He assured that the state government would take steps to cushion the effect of the inferno on the victims.
The governor was accompanied by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Sheriff Oborevwori; Secretary to the State Government, Chief Patrick Ukah; the local government chairmen, Godwin Adobe and Coach Tete, among others.
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