Black Wednesday in Onitsha: Lives, properties, shops lost to tanker explosion

A TANKER explosion around the Upper Iweka axis of Onitsha, Anambra state has turned Wednesday “a black day” for the residents of the commercial city as lives, properties, and goods were burnt to ashes.

The state police command, Haruna Mohammed, who confirmed the incident to the TVC News noted that the fire explosion was caused after a petrol tanker had an accident while plying the road along the Upper Iweka axis of the city.

It was reported that there was no firefighter or emergency responder at the scene for more than an hour the inferno started.

With the petrol flowing down the road, according to videos posted online, dozens of residential buildings and part of Ochanga, the second-largest market in the town were razed down. Hundreds of vehicles were also touched.

A very painful memory for the residents was the life-burning of people. Currently, there is no official number of persons that have died. But a yet to be identified woman and a baby have been certified dead at Toronto hospital in Onitsha after being burnt beyond recognition.

The Police had reportedly responded to the situation cordoning off the area to prevent hoodlums from taking advantage to loot from the shop.

The incident has spurred lamentations from Nigerians on social media, including Facebook and Twitter.

A Twitter user identified as Mazi Nwaichie said the fire burned for two hours.

“Over two hours it was happening in the Ochanja market in Anambra, no single van from the #fireservice to at least calm the fire down. Families lost their loved ones, goods were burnt to ashes, People are left with frustration,” he tweeted.