By Austin Ogwuda
Death toll has risen since last Sunday petrol tanker explosion that occurred at Ugbenu Koko Junction on the Warri-Benin Highway in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State.
There is however uncertainty about the actual number of casualties. Whilst sources pegged it at 13 some said it would exceed 20.
Ironically, the Federal Road Safety Commission FRSC, whose primary function it is to render proper account of the incident left to Police to inform the public.
The Town Hall Media gathered that the accident which occurred close to the border between Delta and Edo States left many dead while several other were rushed to Oghara General Hospital and other nearby clinic centres.
An eye witness told our Reporter that an unidentified female Youth Corps member was among the casualties which actual number is still uncertain.
According to a witness “It was terrible seeing a lot of human beings roasted alive. One of those who caught fire was a female youth corper she ran to a nearby river inorder to extinguish the fire on her body but unfortunately got drowned in the process”.
Report also said that a man lost his wife and three children who joined him in the scooping of the petrol spill. He was however fortunate to escape death by the whispers as he had left the scene back home to offload the scooped product and while returning, the explosion occurred
The petrol tanker was dodging a failed portion of the road when it fell and the fully loaded content spilled. It was while people were scooping that explosion occurred leaving in its trail massive carnage.
