Commercial activities in Ada George Road in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State came to a halt on Tuesday after a tanker laden with petrol fell on the road and went up in flames.
Though no life was lost, nine vehicles parked close to the point of the incident were destroyed, while two buildings were gutted by the fire.
It was gathered that the tanker driver was speeding as he tried to negotiate a sharp bend along Ada George Road. The tanker was said to have fall on its side, injuring the assistant driver.
It was also gathered that while the tanker was on the ground, some residents came out, but went back to watch the announcement of the presidential election results on their televisions. They were, however, forced to rush out eight minutes later when the tanker exploded and went up in flames.
No fewer than nine private cars were said to have been damaged in the incident, while five others were saved by the residents.
It was further learnt that two buildings were gutted by the fire, forcing some occupants of one of the affected buildings ? a mini one-storey building ? to jump from its balcony to avoid being consumed by the inferno.
An auto repairer, Clement Esekhaigbe, whose workshop was close to the scene of the incident, said he was lucky that the firefighters came before the fire affected his workshop.
Esekhaigbe, said, “What would we have told the owners of the vehicles kept here for repairs? How would we have been able to pay for the numerous vehicles in our workshop?”
It was gathered that the four firefighting vehicles that raced to the place expended their water and left without being able to put out the fire.
Some officials of National Emergency Management Agency later came to the scene.
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