Saved By A Whisker, Residents Commend Fire Service For Averting Petrol Tanker Explosion
What nearly resulted to another petrol tanker disaster was averted on Thursday when a truck carrying 30,000 litres of petrol, skidded off the tracks at the popular Education Bus-stop, Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt.
An eye witnesses said the incident occurred when the driver of Mack truck, an elderly man, descended from the flyover and attempted to do a U-turn to head backwards, towards the ConOil Filling Station.
The driver was said to have in the process, had difficulty at steering the rickety vehicle through a narrow space as the front tyres got stock in the process. The situation was said to have forced the 30,000 litres tanker to tilt, with the entire rear of the vehicle bended on one side. The tanker cover was said to have flown open, tipping the contents into the road.
As the fuel spilled on, vehicles heading towards the Education Bus-stop and those coming to Mile One market were forced to reverse, causing heavy traffic. There were fears and commotion, and, sensing the danger of possible conflagration, residents and shop owners in the area hurriedly locked up the shops and took to their heels.
The adjourning streets of Udi, Nsukka and Afikpo were not sparred of the pandemonium as people ran for safety, fearing that an imminent fire would spread through the gutters that had been filled with the gushing fuel.
But frightened as the situation was, ‘area boys’ in the neighborhood could not resist the temptation of making quick money with the wasting products. Armed with plastic buckets, they moved in as the fuel rained down the tanker. It took the vigilance of security officials from the Mile One Police Station and the Diobu Vigilante Group, to chase them away and bring the rowdy situation under control.
Relief however came with the timely arrival of both federal and state fire services to save the situation. The firemen deployed equipment, spraying foamed water on all sides of the tanker to neutralize the effect of the fuel, an operation that lasted over thirty minutes. The firemen also pumped enough water into the fuel saturated gutters.
Some residents who spoke to National Network on the incidence, expressed joy that what would have been an unfortunate fuel tanker explosion, have been averted. Mr. Ziko Anyanwu whose winery shop is adjacent to Chisco Transport Company, Ikwerre Road, described both police and the firemen as ‘God sent’.
“I tell you the truth, I didn’t believe that the tanker would not explode. God truly used the police and fire service men to save us. I was already thinking that my shop would be gutted by fire because of the closeness to the truck”, he said.
Mrs. Angelina Anthony is a food vendor and gets patronage from traders and shop owners around the Education Bus-stop. She said he has never been so scared all her life, as she watched fuel oozing out of the tanker, with no one knowing what to do about it.
“God is really wonderful. While the whole thing was happening, I was calling on Jesus for His miracle. How on earth would I have managed now that we are on Ember months! This is a great miracle and I am going to do thanksgiving in church”, she enthused.
