Tanker explosion in Agatu: Benue petrol tanker accident kill pipo, burn 72 houses

Tanker explosion inside Agatu area of Benue State kill 9 pipo and burn 72 houses and shops, authorities tell BBC Pidgin.

Na black Sunday for di pipo of Oshigbudu village for Agatu local goment area of di north central Nigerian state.

Di accident happun wen oil tanker wey full wit petrol bin fall for road and all di petrol wey dey inside pour wey lead to fire outbreak.

Sunday Oteyi, di Secretary to Agatu LGA, say di incident happun around 12 pm on Sunday 18 April, 2021.

Di tanker bin dey come from Otukpo axis and dem discover say e dey on high speed.

As e come reach di Oshigbudu-Obagaji junction, di tanker come fall and explode.

E say di area na busy area wit plenti business but now pipo for di area dey cry and count dia loss.

Eye witnesses say giant flames from di burning tanker enta pipo houses wey dey nearby.

Accidents wey dey happun sake of tanker explosion dey very common for Nigeria.

For July 2019, at least 45 pipo die and more dan 100 injure for di same area when petrol tanker crash for road and explode as pipo dey try gada fuel.

I loss my house, business to Tanker explosion in Agatu

Ugbona Chijioke- 46-years old still dey heartbroken and in shock as e watch di business wey im don labour build for almost 15 years burn to ashes.

E bin arrive Oshigbudu village wen e be 31 from Enugu state to sell medicine and from dia e build im house and marry wife born 4 pikin dem.

E bin dey chop outside away from him house wen e hear di explosion and by di time e rush come im house, di fire don catch im house and di only tin e take out na im pikin dem.

Di tori be say around 12 noon on Sunday-one tanker wit diesel inside bin dey come from Otukpo to Abuja for along di Oweto -Otukpo road on high speed.

Pipo of di community come di suspect say may be e don fail break and by di time e reach di Oshigbudu junction, di tanker come fall and explode.

As di area catch fire, na so houses and shops dem begin burn without control.

Effort to get fire service pipo from Otukpo to come help kwench di fire, no work and so police officers wey deploy to di area and members of di community come epp kwench di fire.

Di Benue Police Command wey confirm di incident say one of di occupant of di tanker wey survive, dem cari am go General Hospital for Otukpo for treatment.

Agatu community dey in Tears

Members of di Oshigbudu community dey mourn and those wey loss all dia belongings now dey stranded wit no roof over dia head.

Oga Ugbona say di business community for di area no go fit survive except goment epp dem.

E say one of im colleague wey loss everything bin wan commit suicide yesterday and dat dem gatz get pipo to stay wit am so dat e no go try kill himself.

E say some family, due to how di incident shock dem, drm faint and di receive treatment for hospital.

E say now im and I’m family pass di night for dia friend place and dat if di state goment no epp dem, den im go go back village to begin farm as im no know how to bounce back again.