At least six people narrowly escaped death when an articulated vehicle loaded with 33,000 liters of fuel collided with a tipper at the infamous Ugwu Onyeama axis of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway in Enugu State.
The accident occurred as the tanker, descending from the Ninth Mile area, collided with the tipper ascending from the Enugu end of the road. Despite the severity of the crash, all six individuals in the vehicles emerged unharmed.
Franklin Agbakoba, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Enugu, confirmed the incident and provided details on the response efforts. He stated that FRSC officers were promptly on the scene, cordoning off the area and implementing traffic control measures. Firefighters were also on standby in case of any fire outbreak, given the highly flammable nature of the fuel involved.
Agbakoba clarified that while only one person was injured, they were quickly taken to the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital for treatment. “There was no fire outbreak. Our men are there with those from the fire service. We were able to prevent people from scooping petrol from the scene,” he said.
As a precautionary measure, the road was blocked, and traffic was diverted to the opposite lane. The road remains closed as authorities wait for another tanker to arrive to offload the fuel.
