The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has disclosed that the tanker explosion which occurred at Ugwu Onyeama Expressway in Enugu State on the 25th of January, 2025, resulted in the loss of eighteen lives.
The agency which conducted an assessment on the site of the explosion with Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (ENSEMA) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), pointed out that a total of 16 vehicles conveying passengers were burnt in the inferno.
The assessment also revealed that a truck carrying a full load of petroleum motor spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, experienced brake failure while travelling up an elevated portion of the expressway.
As the truck was rolling backwards, it crashed into roadside concrete barriers and vehicles behind it, spilling its contents and subsequently igniting.
A total of 16 vehicles, transporting 44 individuals, were engulfed in the fire.
The incident according to the assessment resulted in the deaths of 18 people, who were burnt beyond recognition, while 23 others sustained various degrees of burns.
Three individuals escaped without injury.
The injured victims have been taken to the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH) Parklane and the National Orthopedic Hospital, both located in Enugu.
Of the injured, nine have been treated and discharged, while six are still hospitalised at the Orthopedic Hospital.
Most of the victims were travellers and did not belong to any specific community or state.
In response, NEMA’s Director General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, expressed her condolences to the victims of the fire explosion and commended the first responders for their prompt evacuation of those affected to medical facilities.
She has also directed the NEMA Enugu zonal office to collaborate with relevant authorities for the immediate delivery of necessary support to the victims.
