Gov Obiano weeps as Petrol Tanker fire burns scores to death in Onitsha

69 persons were burnt to death on Sunday evening when a trailer loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) that was descending from the Army barracks side of Onitsha Enugu express way lost control and rammed into the Asaba Motor Park at Upper Iweka, Onitsha, and then exploded.

According to witnesses, eleven commuter bus and two motorcycles inside the Asaba Park, Onitsha including the 40 foot tanker laden with petrol burnt beyond repairs inside the park.

Governor Willie Obiano who immediately rushed to the scene of the accident on hearing it, wept on seeing the number of casualties. The Governor who could not control himself wept like a hungry small baby would weep.
He told the relations of the victims to take heart and promised that the state will help in ensuring that the living victims are well taken care of in their respective hospitals

The Chairman of the Nigeria Red Cross Society, Prof Peter Emeka Kathy said: “We have sixty nine burnt to dead persons as at now, there are other 30 casualties, a casualty is a living person, a dead person is no longer a casualty, so 69 persons are dead, and they have bee evaluated to various mortuaries in Onitsha, from Toronto to St Charles Boromneo Mortuaries and others in town”.