In what’s coming as really sad development, no fewer than twenty persons have been burnt to death when a tanker loaded with petroleum product lost control and fell on the bridge of Maboro River in Ankpa, Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State.
This is coming three weeks after armed robbers invaded several commercial banks after attacking the divisional police station leaving people dead.
According to the eyewitness on Thursday, many of the victims were burnt beyond recognition and body parts and debris of cars littered the area
“Many People were in the river doing one thing or the other when the tanker lost control, fell and exploded on the bridge. It’s horrible. It was a gory scene, to say the least,” said Usman Ahmed a resident of Ankpa.
Enemaku Audu, another resident of the town said it is the second major disaster in Ankpa within this month, saying, “This one is the most terrible and horrible.”
“Over twenty persons were burnt to death, some beyond recognition”. He added many who were “crushed to death had their body parts scattered all over the place”, adding that such ” parts had to be picked in bits and pieces in body bags”.
When contacted, the Kogi State FRSC Sector Commander, Stephen Dawulung confirmed the incident.
He, however said the number of casualty cannot be ascertained for now as his men were on ground to put the pieces together.
“We cannot ascertain the number of the dead yet. A tanker , one bus and three cars, three motorcycles were involved,’ he said.
