No fewer than 11 persons were killed when a petrol-laden tanker exploded along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway on Saturday.
Eyewitnesses said the tanker had suffered brake failure before it tumbled, and had its content spilled, erupting in an explosion.
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, expressed sadness over the accident during an on-the-spot assessment.
He said those injured were receiving medical attention and that the state would take steps to forestall future occurrences, including enforcement of road rules and fixing the part of the federal road that was in disrepair.
Mbah commiserated with the families of the dead and injured victims while describing the accident as unfortunate.
He further asked the Federal Road Safety Commission’s Sector Commander in the state, Franklin Agbakoba, and the State Commissioner for Transport, Obi Ozor, to ensure that all tankers conveying inflammable substances in the state have anti-spill locks that will prevent spills in case of accident.
“Investigation is still at the preliminary stage. The police and other law enforcement agencies are on it. We want to get to the root of this for us to understand the true cause of the accident,” he said.
While briefing the governor on some of the preliminary investigations conducted by the FRSC Sector Commander for Enugu explained that the tanker spill was as a result of a brakes failure by the fuel tanker.
He added that 11 persons lost their lives at the scene, while identified injured road users were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
