Eight Dead, Others Injured As Petrol Tanker Explodes In Kogi

A petrol tanker exploded on Wednesday in Ankpa town in Kogi State, leaving at least eight people dead.

Speaking with reporters on Thursday, the Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Kogi State, Stephen Dawulung, said two injured persons were also rescued from the incident.

Dawulung revealed that the gruesome accident occurred when a fuel tanker crushed four vehicles, including a passenger bus, adding that the injured persons were rushed to General Hospital, Ankpa, for immediate medical attention.

The FRSC corps commander stated that the emergency officers are still trying to know the actual figure of the casualty, stressing that the figure may rise.

He said: “Our personnel, who rushed to the scene, were able to rescue two injured persons and rushed them to General Hospital, Ankpa, for immediate medical attention.

“They were able to recover eight charred bodies of the victims from the burnt vehicles and motorcycles involved in the accident.

“As it is now, we are not sure of the actual number of people in the vehicles and the motorcycles involved in this fatal and very unfortunate accident. We are still trying to know the actual figure more so that the fire is still raging.

“Aside from the tanker, there is a Sharon bus, three cars and three motorcycles, all of which we cannot tell how many people were occupying them before the unfortunate incident.

“Investigations are on in collaboration with officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), to ascertain the number of persons that were in the Sharon bus before the incident.

“If it had a full load of passengers to mean no fewer than 10 persons in it, and a person in each of the vehicles and motorcycles involved, then we could be talking of 14 persons in all.

“From our findings, the bus was travelling to Makurdi, but no one knows the number of persons inside it and the very park it loaded from to enable us to get the manifest for proper assessment.

“The unfortunate thing is that the tanker burst into flame, burning all the vehicles and motorcycles involved beyond recognition. Even number plates are burnt beyond recognition.”

Dawulung asked the public to report to the FRSC or the nearest police station if their loved ones travelled on Wednesday and cannot be reachable.