A fire outbreak was prevented in a Owerri as a tanker carrying 35,000 litres of petrol fell as it was negotiating its way into Owerri from Aba.
The incident occured along Tetlow by Mbaise road on Sunday around 9pm. Narrating the ordeal to News Echo, Mr. Ohiri Kenneth a community leader from Umuodu where the accident took place said “we were hanging out around 9pm and heard a very big sound and we decided to ascertain the cause of the noise, when we got to the scene, we discovered that a petrol tanker got stuck behind our transformer while trying to negotiate its way along Tetlow by Mbaise road.
Unfortunately, people were already scooping fuel from the fallen tanker though we tried stopping them, telling them the dangers of what they were doing but they continued as it was like a funfair for them”.
Ohiri stated that safe for the rapid intervention of the State and federal service agencies it would have become a diaster as there were so many businesses and residential buildings located along the area.
In a chat with the representative of the Independent Petroleum Marketers and Dealers Association, Engr Okey Mbeku who was seen at the sence negotiating with the community how to handle the few damages that was done on the Transformer, expressed delight that no lives were lost except the little damage on the high tension poles and wires including the transformer that was slightly damaged.
He however expressed displeasure over the atitude of some residents who he said were collecting petrol from the tanker even the security operatives that were supposed to salvage the situation were on ground taken fuel like the others”.
The Public Relations Officer of the Federal service Zone J ASFI Anowa Mike when consulted disclosed that he was close to the area when the incidence took place and alerted his men to move into the scene to avert any form of fire outbreak.
Anowa maintained that but for the quick intervention of the fire fighters who were at the scene and blanketed the place it would have become a huge disaster that would affect business owners and residents around that area.
