A man who claimed to have witnessed the events leading to the death of seven men in Saturday night Anambra tanker fire has said that the victims died when the fuel flowing from the exploded tanker flowed through the water channel to where they were roasting suya.
Police in Anambra State had confirmed seven persons dead following the petrol tanker explosion of Saturday night at Amawbia Roundabout.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Haruna Mohammed, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Awka.
“So far, seven persons have been certified dead at various hospitals by medical doctors, while the only surviving victim was admitted at Intensive Care Unit of the University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi,” Mohammed said.
He said three of the bodies were deposited at Amaku General Hospital morgue, two at Regina Caeli Hospital, and another two at Piston Hospital morgue, all in Awka.
He added that postmortem examination would be conducted to ascertain exact causes of their deaths.
Our correspondent reports that sympathisers are still thronging the scene of the incident as at press time.
An eye witness, Mr Ilu Ali, a vegetable dealer in Awka, told our correspondent at the scene that six of the dead victims were known to him.
“Six persons who died as a result of the fire are northerners, and I know all of them. We were together before the fire started yesterday night.
“Those killed were Sabo Jigawa, Hamza Jarowro, Adamu Mohammed, aka, Janari; Dansoho, Malam Malam, and Jinjiri (from Garzawa, Kano),” he said.
Ali said that apart from the dead, four other victims who sustained injuries were at Amaku Teaching Hospital, Awka; and a private Hospital, Felly, in Amawbia area.
He told our correspondent that the victims were affected because the petrol from the tanker flowed through the water channel to a spot where they were roasting suya meat.