Rivers: Three people killed in tanker explosion — Police

The police in Rivers State have confirmed that three people were killed when a fuel tanker exploded on Tuesday in the state.

The incident occurred when a petrol-laden tanker which veered off the road collided with a taxi and burst into flames at the Obiri Ikwerre flyover section of the East-West Road around 9:00 a.m.

Grace Iringe-Koko, the police spokesperson in the state, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt that the car’s occupants were severely burnt and that they could not be identified.

“I can confirm that three persons perished after a tanker carrying petrol fell on a commercial vehicle at the Obiri Ikwerre flyover stretch of the East-West Road.

“The Fire Service has successfully put out the fire, but the area has been cordoned off because of ongoing petrol leakage from the tanker.

“The Commissioner of Police, Tunji Disu, and I were on the ground earlier to assess the situation,” she said.

Ms Iringe-Koko, a superintendent of police, added that traffic has been diverted from the flyover to alternative routes to prevent further casualties.

A NAN correspondent who visited the accident scene saw the burnt vehicle and charred bodies of victims on the road.

The incident happened a few kilometres from the University of Port Harcourt.

There was gridlock stretching a few kilometres on the road that connects to the N200 billion Ring Road project currently being constructed by the Rivers State Government.

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A witness, Ebiere Faith, said that the impact of the explosion was felt kilometres away from her office.

“Some individuals said that their glass windows were shattered due to the impact of the explosion,” she told NAN.