Homes, shops burnt as tanker explodes in Bayelsa

A tanker exploded near Okaki Junction at Akenfa axis of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, destroying shops and homes.

However, no life was lost in the inferno.

A victim, Smart Okhwo, who hails from Ofoni community in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state, narrated his ordeal, saying he got a call that his house was on fire.

Okhwo said his house, including a Point Of Sale (POS) kiosk his son was operating, were already destroyed by the time the fire service got there.

He said goods belonging to some of his tenants who had shops in his house were completely burnt down.

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According to him, the tanker caught fire and it spread to the surrounding houses and shops while blaming the police for the incident.

He said: “The serious thing is that it was caused by police. Now, they have run away. They were stopping the tanker by using a keke to block the way.

“The driver tried to dodge the keke so he climbed the pavement. That was when the tanker did a summersault. The next thing was fire.

“That was how it happened. So, government should come and intervene especially for my tenants and those people who are doing business.”

Another house owner, Dennis Godwin, from Delta State, said he travelled two days ago and got an urgent call to return because his house was on fire.

While expressing thanks to God that no life was lost, he also implored the government to come to their aid, saying “Government should do something.”

Another victim, a trader who did not identify himself, but lost his goods in the fire, said “All we need is justice.”

Nelson Meeting, a firefighter who led the fire crew, said they came as soon as they got the distress call, but other road users did not give them right of way despite the fact that they were using siren.

Meeting observed that onlookers who were taking videos of the fire did not give them enough room to work and called for a change while warning that radiation from phones was dangerous in such a situation.

“They don’t know that even videoing is dangerous because of the radiation from the phone.

“Next time, they should give way and allow firefighters to do their job. They should follow instructions from the firefighters,” Meeting stated.

When contacted, the Police spokesman in Bayelsa State, ASP Musa Mohammed, who confirmed the incident, said the explosion was caused by a brake failure.

He said the tanker driver lost control and rammed into a tricycle before it gutted fire.

He denied that policemen were the cause of the accident that led to the fire outbreak.