A tanker suspected to be carrying Liquefied Natural Gas, has exploded at the Obiri-Ikwerre flyover along the East-West on the outskirts of Port Harcourt in Rivers state, killing two, News About Nigeria reports.
The incident occurred at about 9:25 am when the tanker upturned while trying to negotiate the bypass at the flyover and immediately went up in flames crushing a salon car with two occupants inside.
According to an eyewitness, two occupants of the car were trapped before they could escape and were roasted.
“My office is just close by here. It was a terrible sight. Two persons inside a salon car parked nearby were burnt beyond recognition.
“The tanker was trying to negotiate through the flyover when it fell and the explosion occurred,” he stated.
Another eyewitness who simply gave his name as Lucky stated that the sound of the explosion spread to residential areas near the flyover and caused panic.
He said, “It was about past 9 am that I was driving towards the University of Port Harcourt that I saw the flames.
“I quickly made a u-turn because I was driving. Many vehicles started making a detour to avoid the scene of the fire, somewhere even videoing the fire with their phones.”
The spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident and the casualty figure, stating that two lives perished in the fire.
“Yes I can confirm that two persons died in the tanker fire. Myself and the Commissioner of Police are on the ground as I speak to you.
“The fire has been put out but the area is still dangerous because the gas is still leaking,” she confirmed.
She therefore advised motorists to take alternative routes to avoid any further casualty, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
