Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has expressed condolences to the Ometan community in Okpe Local Government Area of the state following the deaths of seven indigenes in a tanker fire accident on Friday morning.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire disaster occurred about 10 a.m. on Friday when a tanker packed with fuel crashed on the road after its head detached while in motion in the Ometan settlement along Warri-Sapele Road.
Speaking at the explosion scene, Oborevwori, joined by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Emomotimi Guwor, and former Okpe Local Government Council Chairman, Isaiah Esiovwa, expressed his condolences to the community.
Oborevwori said, “I was just coming from the creeks where I went to inspect projects, and there was no network. So, immediately after I arrived at the Navy jetty, I received a message from the Head of Personnel Management of Okpe Local Government Council informing me of the sad incident.
“On getting here, I saw dead bodies, and those who witnessed the unfortunate incident said the tanker had an accident and exploded, which led to the fire.
“It is a very sad situation, and I commiserate with the people of the Ometan community and the families of those who lost their lives in this unfortunate incident.”
Witnesses who described the tanker fire incident as “chaotic and horrific” reported that the victims destroyed by the blaze were burned beyond recognition, while numerous others had varying degrees of injuries and were hospitalized.
The catastrophe also damaged some buildings, including residential units, improvised caravans, automobiles, and heavy-duty trucks.
It was said that the mother of the three-year-old child became stuck in the roaring fire while attempting to save her child.
Another victim of the explosion, a secondary school child, was claimed to have died in the fire after returning from school.
