Tanker fire destroys shops, homes in Bayelsa

A tanker fire near Okaki Junction in the Akenfa area of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, has destroyed shops and homes, but no life was lost in the inferno.

A victim, Smart Okhwo, who hails from Ofoni community in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state, narrated his ordeal to PUNCH Metro on Sunday, saying he got a call that his house was on fire.

Okhwo said his house, including a PoS kiosk his son was operating, was already destroyed by the time the fire service got there.

He said goods belonging to some of his tenants who had shops in his house were burnt down in the fire and praised those who carried out rescue efforts before the arrival of the fire service.
According to him, the incident started when the tanker caught fire and then spread to the surrounding houses and shops while blaming the police for the incident.

He said: “The serious thing is that it was caused by the police. Now, they have run away. They were stopping the tanker by using a Keke (tricycle) to block the way.

“The driver tried to dodge the Keke so he climbed the pavement. That was when the tanker did a summersault. The next thing was fire.
“That was how it happened. So, the government should come and intervene especially for my tenants and those people who are doing business. During the packing of the things, you know how Nigeria is. Most of the people came to rescue the things, but a lot of property was lost.”
Another house owner, Dennis Godwin, from Delta State, said he travelled two days ago and got an urgent call to return because his house was on fire.

While expressing thanks to God that no life was lost, he also implored the government to come to their aid saying, “Government should do something.”

Another victim, a trader who did not identify himself, said he lost his goods in the fire, saying, “All we need is justice.”

However, a firefighter who led the fire crew, Nelson Meeting, said they came as soon as they got the distress call, but other road users did not give them the right of way though they were using a siren.

Meeting observed that onlookers who were taking videos of the fire did not give them enough room to work and called for a change of attitude while warning that radiation from phones was dangerous in such a situation.

“They don’t know that even videoing is dangerous because of the radiation from the phone. Next time, they should give way and allow firefighters to do their job. They should follow instructions from the firefighters,” Meeting stated.
When contacted by PUNCH Metro, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Musa Mohammed, said it was not true that the policemen were the cause of the accident that led to the fire and that it was just an allegation.

Mohammed said the tanker failed its brake and the driver lost control and hit the Keke, but the driver escaped and jumped into the nearby Epie Creek where he was later rescued.