The Petroleum Product Retail Outlet House owners Affiliation of Nigeria (PETROAN) says the hearth incident alongside the Eleme axis of the East-West Highway in Rivers State, which resulted in vital injury to properties and lack of lives, was attributable to a vehicular accident.
The State Chairman of PETROAN, Francis Dimkpa, defined {that a} heavy-duty car collided with a petrol-laden truck from behind amidst heavy visitors, inflicting the valve of the petrol truck to open.
Dimkpa, in an interview with DAILY POST, said that subsequently, the warmth from the collision ignited the spilled petrol, leading to a hearth and subsequent explosion.
Expressing concern over the incident, Dimkpa emphasised that correct street upkeep might have doubtlessly prevented such a tragedy, recalling PETROAN’s a number of attraction to the federal government to repair the street.
“The ache is such that the lives and properties water would have been avoidable.
“Assuming all our cries, all our shouting, all our advocacy had been taken critically, and that street mounted to plain, that accident would have been prevented.”
Dimkpa additionally expressed concern that some people who weren’t eyewitnesses have been spreading inaccurate data that the hearth incident was attributable to an explosion from a tanker.
In response to the losses suffered, each by PETROAN members and most people, Dimkpa said that the affiliation would convene to find out the suitable plan of action.
”It’s much more painful to us, the members of the Petroleum Product Retail Outlet House owners Affiliation of Nigeria that individuals who weren’t eyewitnesses, had been saying the hearth was attributable to an explosion, tanker explosion.
“Our members who had been current on the incident, confirmed to us that the hearth was attributable to an accident owing to the visitors. The hustle and pulling of visitors problem. That was what ignited the hearth.
“The tanker explosion was a lot later, when the hearth had escalated. So individuals shouldn’t give the fallacious information that the hearth was attributable to tanker explosion, as a result of that isn’t what led to the hearth.
“The hearth was attributable to a street accident, as a result of visitors hustle and pulling on that Eleme Highway that’s substandard, that’s beneath Nationwide and worldwide acceptance. That’s painful to the individuals of Rivers State, painful to the individuals of Nigeria who navigate alongside that street day and evening.
“We’ve decried that scenario, we’ve got complained about that scenario, and we’re pained.
“The affiliation will return to its congress to determine on what to do, following the loss our members have suffered, and most people have suffered because of this unintentional hearth which was not in any means attributable to tanker explosion. It was attributable to an accident on that unhealthy street”, he added.
When DAILY POST contacted the Federal Highway Security Corps, FRSC, Rivers State Command, to get data concerning variety of casualties, the Sector Commander promised to supply updates quickly.
As on the time of filling this report, it’s unsure the variety of lives misplaced.
DAILY POST, nonetheless, stories that a number of vehicles had been burnt down because of the hearth incident, with some individuals seen trapped in vehicles already burnt past recognition.
