Barely two days after a petroleum tanker fire caused the deaths of at least 12 persons in Oshugbudu rural town of Agatu Local Government Area of Benue, the state has recorded yet another tanker explosion.
A tanker went up in flames, still in Oshugbudu, in the early hours of Tuesday, leaving some houses burnt.
Our correspondent gathered that the fresh incident happened close to a police station.
Vice Chairman of Agatu LGA, John Ikwulono, told our correspondent that no life was lost in the latest incident.
“But several houses were burnt. Though we are not yet certain about the numbers of buildings affected, however, they are not as many as the incident on Sunday.
“We are glad that no life was lost. The driver of the vehicle ran away but his conductor was arrested and handed over to police. I’m told that the tanker fully loaded with fuel fell and caught fire between 4:00am and 5:00am,” Ikwulono narrated.
But the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Benue State confirmed only two buildings burnt in the fresh tanker explosion in Agatu.
Sector Corps Commander, Yakubu Mohammed, in a text message to our correspondent, stated, “Yes, a tanker lost control and crashed where it burnt two (2) buildings near Oshugbudu in early hours of this morning (Tuesday). Our personnel have rescued the two persons involved no loss of life or injury. The obstruction has been cleared motorists are moving freely now.”
Editor’s note: This picture was used for illustrative purposes
