The governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has expressed regret over the fire tragedy that occurred on Friday night. The fire was started by a tanker carrying premium motor spirit, or gasoline, and burned commuters and drivers beyond recognition. Several vehicles were also destroyed.

The Rivers Tanker Disaster,

The popular and busy Eleme portion of the East-West Road, which is currently undergoing extensive restoration by the Federal Government, is where the tragedy happened, between the Aleto Bridge and the Indorama Petro-Chemical Company Gate.

The governor conveyed regret over the horrifying scenes he witnessed on his Saturday morning visit to the location of the disaster with State Commissioners for Energy and Natural Resources, Uchechukwu Nwafor, and Police, Olatunji Disu.

This was said in a statement that the Chief Press Secretary emailed to newsmen and gave to Governor Nelson Chukwudi.
The governor also mentioned the tanker fire, which turned into a tragic incident in the state that resulted in the destruction of over 120 cars and the loss of roughly five people. He called it a ‘great tragedy.’

It’s a really depressing day in our beloved state. Along the Indorama Petrochemical and Fertilizer Company Limited road, something happened at Eleme. A tipper malfunctioned on a tanker, and there was an tragic circumstance that resulted in a disastrous loss for the State.

I visited there this morning to find out for myself what transpired, and I can honestly say that ever then, I have not been content. It is absolutely inappropriate for us to add it to the dramas already present in our state.However, we weren’t at blame. It was precisely the result of impatience. Knowing the condition of that route, the tanker driver lacked patience, which led to that enormous loss. Five people died and around 120 cars were entirely destroyed by fire. It was really regrettable.

On Saturday, Governor Fubara gave a speech at Sir Celestine Omehia’s rural house in the Ubima community of Rivers State’s Ikwerre Local Government Area.

Fubara had previously stated that he received a phone alerting him to the event from the managing director of Eleme Local Government Area’s Indorama Petrochemical and Fertilizer Company Limited.

The governor claimed that as soon as he learned of the occurrence, he called the security services and gave them instructions to come to the location and take control of the area’s security in order to prevent the situation from getting worse.

We are here to see for ourselves and get first-hand information of the incident of what happened last night,” Governor Fubara declared.

It was between 7:30 and 8 p.m. that we learned how serious the event was. I was informed that a tanker truck carrying Premium Motor Spirit was to blame.

Read Also: Fubara: The Rivers Tanker Explosion Was Preventable.

‘In actuality, the MD of Indorama provided me with the information. and I made sure the security authorities took charge of the local security situation right away by alerting them.
Moreover, from what we saw this morning, it was not a friendly case. Numerous cars were wrecked and fatalities were reported.

In order to enable the State Government to make the right decisions and take the necessary action to significantly improve the situation and lessen the negative effects on the affected people, the governor clarified that he had already asked the pertinent government agencies to give him a detailed account of their findings.

I have already requested a comprehensive brief from the pertinent agencies so that we can fully assess the issue and determine the extent to which we can assist the families that are grieving, as well as lessen the impact of the losses, which, in my opinion, is not the fault of many of them.

Everyone is aware of the state of this road. It is quite regrettable. The majority of our folks should drive carefully on this road.

‘I firmly feel that if the drivers had acted appropriately, this tragedy could have been avoided. However, it’s already late. The harm has already occurred. Here is the predicament we find ourselves in. He went on, “We’ll see if we can handle the fallout.”

Four dead, including a pregnant woman’s, were observed at the scene of the fire, according to a statement released by Grace Iringe-Koko, the State Police Command spokesperson, who confirmed the occurrence.

The Rivers State Police Command received a distress call at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Friday, April 26, 2024, regarding a fire incident along East-West Road near Indorama Gate, Eleme, caused by a tanker explosion,” the statement stated. The fire department was notified right away, and personnel were sent to the location.By 10:30 p.m., the police and firefighters worked together to put out the fire once they arrived. Still, more than seventy cars were consumed, leaving a number of people stranded. Numerous people were saved as a result of the efforts, although the exact number of casualties is unknown.

Sadly, four people—including a pregnant woman—have been officially pronounced dead. Those who were injured are being treated at adjacent hospitals.

Upon being called, the Federal Road Safety Corps, Rivers Sector Commander Chief of State, Christopher Kuje. confirmed the number of casualties reported by the police, stating that the burned bodies had been bagged and transported to the Port Harcourt Military Hospital.

‘We counted four bodies that were burned beyond recognition,’ Kuje continued. Thus, we transport them to the Military Hospital using corpse bags. There were sixty cars that caught fire that we could count.

Precious, one of the eyewitnesses, described the incident as “some people were running when the fire caught them and they died,” but he also pointed the finger at the road’s reconstruction, saying it made the traffic much worse.

It’s excellent that they are maintaining the road, but they also need to provide access. Not the method they’re using. Once they should respond quickly, and the contractor should also be aware that cars are utilizing the road. This would not have occurred otherwise. It’s regrettable,” he continued.