Scores of victims have been feared killed in the Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State after a tanker laden with petroleum products fell and exploded in Oshigbudu community.
Reports say that the tanker fell at the Oshigbudu-Obagaji junction, along Oweto-Abuja road on Sunday afternoon, April 18, and exploded after spilling its content which spread to a filling station along Oweto axis and exploded.
An eyewitness, who identified himself as Enojo, said that the fuel tanker was turning Ubagaji/Oshigbudu junction when it fell down and burst into flames that claimed the lives of the victims.
“The tanker fell down at a junction in Oshigbudu and while the contents gushed out it spread to a filling station where it exploded. The situation is still tense. We can not ascertain the number of lives lost but some people were caught up in the inferno.” he told Nigerian Tribune.
The tanker explosion was also confirmed by the Vice Chairman of Agatu local government, John Ikwulono, who said that many people might have lost their lives in the tanker explosion.
“At the moment, we can not ascertain the number of deaths now, the explosion happened at Ubagaji/Oshigbudu junction. The tanker was conveying fuel and fell down at that particular junction and fuel gushed out of the tanker and it spread to a nearby fuel station towards Oweto and the filling station caught fire and several houses around the area got burnt,” he stated.
