BY OUR CORRESPONDENT – A quiet Sunday morning was shattered by pre-dawn collision that erupted into a fiery nightmare in Cross River State after a diesel tanker slammed into a stationary truck, overturned, and exploded into a massive fireball.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that the fire incident left two people dead with two others fighting for their dear lives with critical injuries.
The catastrophic crash struck in the early hours of the morning right outside the Odukpani Local Government Secretariat and within seconds, a wall of flames leaped from the shattered tanker and ripped through the area, reducing nearby shops and structures to ashes.
Emergency responders and local police rushed to secure the scene as thick smoke billowed into the morning sky, turning a peaceful weekend morning into a scene of devastating loss.
Reports said the unfortunate incident destroyed several shops, goods and vehicles, even as the tanker driver was trapped inside the burning vehicle.
However, help came quickly as he was promptly rescued from the burning tanker and taken to a hospital for immediate medical attention.
Following the incident, police officers from the Odukpani Division were deployed to secure the scene and manage the situation, while the Cross River State Fire Service responded to contain the blaze.
Also, the Director-General of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (CR-SEMA), Efa Nyong, subsequently led a joint assessment team comprising officials of the agency and the Nigerian Red Cross Society to the scene.
The assessment team, which was received on ground by the Council Chairman Etim Asido, moved quickly through the wreckage of Odukpani Local Government Council.
Asido guided the officials firsthand through the debris, delivering a comprehensive briefing on how the disaster struck and detailing the devastating scale of the destruction.
With thick smoke hanging in the air as investigators surveyed the ruins, charred shop-fronts and gutted properties were properly documented. As the team tracked the path of destruction, firefighters battled tirelessly alongside them to fully extinguish the remaining flames.
Standing amidst the ashes, Asido praised the emergency responders for their swift, decisive action, just as he expressed deep gratitude to both the Fire Service for their rapid frontline deployment and the state government alongside CR-SEMA for their immediate relief intervention.
In his remarks, the CR-SEMA boss, Efa Nyong sympathised with the families of the deceased and injured victims, as well as the business owners whose shops and goods were affected by the fire.
He assured the victims that the state government, through CR-SEMA and other relevant stakeholders, would continue to assess the situation and explore appropriate interventions.
With officials cautioning residents to ensure they stay clear of emergency lanes, they have also issued urgent warning for drivers and traders to abandon the perimeter, ensuring rescue teams have a straight, unobstructed shot to the chaos.
Meanwhile, the unfortunate incident serves as a grim reminder of a ticking time bomb, renewing deep fears about the deadly gamble of having massive petroleum tankers share narrow roads with bustling community hubs along major roads in Cross River State.
