Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State
No fewer than seven persons including little children were Thursday feared dead, while over 50 buildings housing police officers as well as officers of the Nigeria Prisons Service in Enugu were razed down when a tanker carrying fuel caught fire and exploded at a roundabout near the popular Ogbete Market.
Several police officers and prison wardens were also rendered homeless while properties worth several millions of naira including 10 cars, motorcycles, most of them belonging to either traders at the market or officers at the Central Police Station and the Nigeria Prisons were completely destroyed.
But for the timely intervention of men of the Enugu Fire Service as well as officers and men of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Nigeria Securities and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), among other security operatives, the entire Central Police Station and the Ogbete main market would have been completely razed down.
Though, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in the state, Steven Ekpei , said only three persons died in the inferno
According to the eyewitness account, the driver of the Petroleum Tanker belonging to Shorelink Oil and Gas Services Port-Harcourt with registration number XL 968 JJJ may have battled effortlessly to control the heavy vehicle at the round about before it fell down before exploding at about 7.07 am.
It was also gathered that the leaked fuel from the tanker flowed into the Enugu Central Police Station Barracks and some parts of Ogbete Main Market through a gutter located at Prison barracks.
Most of the people who lost their lives to the fire died while attempting to escape from the windows of their apartments. One of the
deceased was said to have just completed his Higher National Diploma at one of the polytechnics in Enugu.
deceased was said to have just completed his Higher National Diploma at one of the polytechnics in Enugu.
He reportedly died while attempting to rescue his grandmother from their apartment. The grandmother was later consumed by the fire.
May the souls of the deceased rest in peace.