1st October, 2023
Twenty people have been burnt to death after a fuel tanker exploded on Warri-Benin Expressway on Nigeria’s Independence Day.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday at Koko junction along Warri – Benin Highway in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State.
A tanker had fallen with the fuel licked out. Some people were said to scooping fuel after the tanker fell.
It was gathered that a spark from a faulty vehicle led to an explosion, with 20 people killed.
It was gathered that those who died included a pregnant woman, children, and some elderly persons.
An eyewitness Yusuf said after the tanker fell, with its content gushing out, some people in the community came out to scoop fuel.
Yusuf said he and others tried to prevent them from scooping fuel, but said the youths threatened to beat them up
“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,” he told Vanguard.