Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has characterised the fire incident caused by a tanker transporting Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, as extremely regrettable since it burned motorists and commuters beyond recognition and damaged multiple vehicles.
Fubara pointed out that the collision could have been averted if the drivers had been more cautious.
On Friday night, an explosion occurred between Indorama Gate and Aleto Bridge on the popular and bustling Eleme portion of the East-West Road, which is currently undergoing extensive redevelopment by the Federal Government.
Fubara expressed concern at the terrible sights he witnessed when visiting the scene of the event on Saturday morning, accompanied by the state commissioner of police, Olatunji Disu, and the commissioner of energy and natural resources, Mr. Uchechukwu Nwafor.
Nelson Chukwudi, the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, released a statement to the media.
Fubara stated that he received a call from the Managing Director of Indorama Petrochemical and Fertiliser Company Limited in Eleme Local Government Area, telling him of the tragedy.
When Fubara learned of the occurrence, he quickly routed a call to security agencies and asked them to visit the location to take command of the area’s security in order to prevent the situation from escalating.
Fubara stated, “We are here to see for ourselves and get first-hand information about the incident that happened yesterday night.
“About 7.30–8 pm, we got information on the gravity of the incident. I was told that it was caused by a tanker vehicle that was conveying Premium Motor Spirit.
“I got the information through the MD of Indorama, and I immediately alerted the security agencies to make sure they took control of the security situation in the area.
“And from what we are seeing this morning, it was not a pleasant case. We recorded a huge number of vehicles destroyed and lives lost.”
Fubara explained that he had already requested that the relevant government agencies provide him with a detailed account of their findings so that the state government could make appropriate decisions and actions to significantly improve the situation and reduce the negative impact on the affected people.
“I have already asked the relevant agencies to give us a full brief so that we can come into the situation fully by seeing how much we can support the bereaved families and also cushion the effect of the losses, which I believe is no fault of a good number of them.
“We all know the situation on this road. It is really unfortunate. Most of our people, when plying this road, should do so with caution.
“I believe very strongly that this situation would have been avoidable if the motorists had behaved properly. But it is late already. The damage has happened. This is the situation we have found ourselves in. We will see how we can control the aftermath,” he added.
