At least one person died, two injured while four vehicles were damaged in a tanker explosion that rocked Awka, Anambra State on Tuesday.
It was gathered that the tanker was brought in for welding, shortly after discharging petroleum products, and that a welder was already working on it when residual petrol left inside caused an explosion that engulfed an automobile mechanic workshop in Amawbia, along the Enugu-Onitsha expressway.
The welder, who was working on the tanker, was killed in the fire, while two persons, a cooler and an unidentified woman were badly burnt, and taken to hospital.
Two tankers, a tipper and a Toyota Camry car were gutted by fire as a result of the incident.
Haruna Mohammed, spokesperson of Anambra State Command of Nigeria Police said, “At about 3:pm, there was a fire incident at a welding workshop located along Enugu-Agidi road Amawbia.
“The area was cordoned off and traffic diverted to alternative routes in order to prevent catastrophe until after the fire was successfully put off by the fire fighters. Situation was brought under control and obstruction cleared to enable free flow of traffic.
“Meanwhile, a male cobbler and a woman whose identities are yet to be ascertained, sustained varying degrees of burns and were rushed to the Preston Hospital, Ngozika Housing Estates for treatment, while the welder one Monday Ayo Adenipekun popularly known as AY, aged about 35years, who was working on top of the Tanker without number plate was burnt to death and his body evacuated to Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Mortuary for autopsy.
“A total number of four vehicles including two Tankers, one Tipper and one Toyota Camry where affected by the inferno.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the exploded tanker was brought into the workshop for welding no sooner than it had discharged fuel. The residual fuel in the tank was eventually ignited during the welding.
“All the Security Agencies worked in synergy to control the large crowd, direct traffic and restore order at the scene”.
Thank you for taking your time in reading through our Journal Today. We wish to always provide you with qualitative Stories as far as GOOD-JOURNALISM is CONCERN. But good journalism costs a lot of money and only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, accountability democracy and a transparent government.
For continued free access to the best investigative journalism, we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble profession .
