A fuel tanker exploded in Warri, Delta State, on Nigeria’s Independence Day, resulting in the death of twenty people.
The incident took place in the early morning hours of Sunday near Koko junction on the Warri- Benin Expressway. Eyewitnesses said that the tanker fell with its contents spilling out, and some people were seen scooping up the fuel.
It was believed that a spark in a faulty nearby vehicle caused the explosion, leading to the death of 20 people, including a pregnant woman and children, as well as some elderly people.
Yusuf, one of the eyewitnesses, said that he and others attempted to stop the people from taking the fuel, but were threatened by the youths. He said that when the explosion occurred, they were in their numbers and were carrying all kinds of containers.
He said that they all fled when it happened, with some of them running into the forest. He said that he counted over 20 dead bodies.
