Black Friday as Tanker explodes, causes panic

A tanker containing fuel product was set ablaze in the early hours of Friday at Ikot Ekong area in Calabar-Itu highway, Uyo.

The ugly incident which took no life according to eyewitnesses occurred following a poor overtaking by a Toyota Camry on the tanker.

They added that members of the State Fire Service team were on hand to control the fire which had already set ablaze major parts of the tanker, and they were seen assisting motorists to make use of the opposite lane.

One of the eyewitnesses, Mr. Ndubisi Godswill, a trader narrates “I saw people shouting, so I came out of my shop hurriedly. Then I saw a particular vehicle trying to overtake the tanker and the vehicle mistakenly scratched the battery area of the tanker and there was a spark.  You know, the vehicle was carrying a highly inflammable product fuel, so it caught fire and exploded.

The driver later jumped out and was pursuing the car that caused the accident.  Somebody else now had to call the fire service team.  With their intervention and the help of God, the fire was quenched.  Also, the product was intact, nothing happened to the product.  However, the cage of the tanker was burnt beyond repair as you can see.”

Another eye witness Emmanuel Ifiok who is also a trader in the area said the incidence occurred around 9 am.  “All I saw were people running so I ran to the scene to see the tanker which was containing kerosene burning as if it will never stop.  Thank God the fire service men came after some miniutes following our panic call.  The conductor and driver were chasing after a camry car.

Mrs. Glory Effiong, a farmer states: “the fault was from the tanker because he was too slow in speed, so that is why that small car had to overtake it wrongly, at a point, they were very close to each other and there was smoke everywhere.  Nobody died.  The driver was fighting one man, and some of the fuel was licking.

They had called on motorists to drive with care so as to always arrive their destinations safely.

Speaking, the officer in charge of Uyo and Akpanandem Division of the State Fire Service, Mr. Maurice Udoeyop said it took them not more than 30minutes to put out the inferno, calling on drivers to regularly drive with caution.

He stated that they should always have fire extinguishers in their vehicles as this can control fire disasters.