BY CHUKWU SOLOMON (NETPRENEUR/BLOGGER)
Since the inception of the present administration of Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state, many tankers conveying Petrol motor spirits (PMS) have killed no fewer than 300 Anambra residents leaving in our minds an unanswerable questions.
For instance, on 24th December 2015, in the awake of Christmas eve, a butane tanker ignited a huge explosion at a crowded industrial plant ‘Chikason Group Gas plant’ in Anambra, killing “tens of people” who were lining up to refill their cooking gas cylinders. The disaster which Igbere Tv reported took place in Nnewi, a predominantly Christian city in south-east Nigeria.
“The fire exploded like a bomb and the whole gas station went up in thick, black smoke amidst an explosion from cooking gas cylinders,” “Many people were killed and most of them were those that had been in the station queuing all day to get their cylinders refilled.” According to Igbere Tv report, the fire raged for hours as fire extinguisher were debilitated . “Many of them were burned beyond recognition and I doubt if many family members of the dead victims would be able to identify the remains of their loved ones.
However, On Jan 04, 2016 Barely one week after gas plant explosion which rocks Chikason plant and killed over 100 persons, another explosion caused by Tanker loaded with fuel occurred in the same Nnewi axis in Anambra State. The tanker which was loaded with fuel explode at Organizer Filling Station, Amuko in Nnewi axis, the inferno got into nearby buildings and razed them down with uncountable casualties and death toll
Again, 3weeks after the Chikason plant explosion, another petrol tanker went up in flames at a filling station along Nnewi-Okigwe expressway, Nnewi, Anambra State.
Notwithstanding , On the night of Thursday, February 16, 2017, the commercial city of Onitsha was in panic again as a tanker explosion fire incident burnt down Mobil Filling Station opposite Dennis Memorial Grammar School (DMGS), Onitsha. The incident destroyed two other filing stations in line and burnt down about fifteen residential buildings and over thirty vehicles parked on different locations of Oguta and Upper New Roads Onitsha.
According to Igbere Tv report, the fire incidents started about 8 pm when a petrol tanker descending from Awka road in Onitsha experienced brake failure and landed inside Mobil filling Station where it exploded and burnt down the petrol station together with about fifteen residential building, cars, and other two filling stations close by
Also, In February 11, 2019 No fewer than seven persons were confirmed dead in a petrol-laden tanker explosion that occurred near the Anambra State Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia, near Awka, the state capital. Scores of persons sustained varying degrees of injuries in the inferno hence Several cars, houses and shops were burnt .
Narrowly down to the recent fuel tanker explosion on Wednesday along MCC, Upper Iweka, Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra State.Scores of people are reported to have been wounded due to the incident with a horrifying scene of a lifeless mother and her lifeless child burnt beyond recognition. Several Shops were affected by the fire in the nearby Ochanja market.
There are a lot of unanswered questions from the several fuel tanker accidents in Anambra under the current administration of Obiano,what are the concrete steps the state government have taken to curtail this mayhem which have eaten deep into the bone marrows of ndi Anambra??
