Tragedy: Tanker Explosion Kills Pregnant Woman, 3 Children in Ondo
A tanker filled with petrol has exploded in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State killing many among who are one pregnant woman and three children.
Eyewitnesses noted that the explosion which occurred on Sunday burnt the victims to death just after the victims rushed to scoop fuel from the tanker which had skidded off its lane and crashed.
According to reports, one of the victims while scooping fuel at the scene held a mobile phone which was responsible for a spark and then the explosion.
An eyewitness identified as Bamidele, a hawker around the area, told Daily Trust that the victims had earlier been warned by motorists not to go near the tanker.
He said, “I was attending to a buyer when I saw the truck driver trying to manoeuvre the vehicle after losing control. He finally swerved off his lane and crashed the tanker. So, people began to run down to the scene with jerrycans and buckets.
“Some drivers and passengers who saw what happened were even warning them not to go near the truck but they refused. Suddenly, the truck exploded. It was later we heard that it was caused by a mobile phone held by one of the victims.
“A pregnant woman, three little children and more than 15 other persons died in the explosion.”
He also disclosed that both the deceased and survivors were evacuated by men of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to a government hospital.
While confirming the incident, the Ondo Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr. Ezekiel SonAllah, told reporters in an interview that the survivors were receiving treatment for varying degrees of burnt.
Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), in Ondo State, added that some of the victims were burnt beyond recognition.
Odunlami-Omisanya said that the deceased have also been reported in the hospital’s morgue.
Follow us for more stories…
Author
