Tragically, more than 20 lives were lost in the aftermath of a tanker explosion at Koko junction along the Warri – Benin Highway in the Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State.
According to reports by Igbere TV, this devastating incident took place in the early hours of Sunday and was triggered by a spark originating from a malfunctioning vehicle, while individuals were in the hazardous act of siphoning spilled fuel from the tanker.
Sadly, among the victims were a pregnant woman, children, and elderly individuals.
An eye witness, who preferred anonymity, said the tanker fell and spilled its contents on the road and some persons rushed to scoop fuel despite being warned by drivers and security men who had stormed the scene after they learnt the tanker had fallen.
“We tried to prevent them but the youths threatened to beat us up telling us it’s their community. They came in their numbers carrying all sorts of containers and when the explosion happened around 12:15 am this morning we all fled.
“You can see dead bodies on the ground, some of them ran into the forest as I speak some dead bodies have been removed, I counted over 20 bodies” the eye witness who called his name Yusuf said.
When reporters visited the scene, some dead bodies burnt beyond recognition were seen on the ground, while burnt vehicles including the exploded tanker.
