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No fewer than 38 persons were severely affected after a fuel tanker burst into flames in Ndem community, Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River State, on Wednesday.
The tanker, said to have fallen into a nearby river during transloading operations, ignited a fire that engulfed dozens of residents at the scene.
Eyewitnesses said many victims sustained severe burns, with at least 12 persons confirmed dead as of press time. Several of the deceased were reportedly burnt beyond recognition.
An eyewitness, Anthony Ekeni, said he counted about 38 victims at the scene, including 12 lifeless bodies.
Among those feared dead are the Chairman of the Ogoja Truckers Association and a recently promoted Assistant Superintendent of Police, whose identity had yet to be confirmed.
Emergency response agencies are yet to issue an official statement at the time of filing this report.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, said the corpses of the deceased had been evacuated and released to the appropriate authorities and families, including the Hausa Muslim community for burial in line with Islamic rites.
Eitokpah said the police received news of the incident with deep grief, adding that the Divisional Traffic Officer in Ogoja and patrol teams were immediately deployed to the scene to secure the area and manage traffic.
“The scene was cordoned off to prevent further casualties, while efforts were made in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to rescue trapped victims and evacuate the injured to the General Hospital, Ogoja, for treatment,” he said.
He added that reinforcements were later deployed to contain the fire, ensure public safety and prevent further escalation, while access to the affected area was restricted.
The police spokesman further disclosed that an investigation had commenced to determine both the remote and immediate causes of the incident, particularly the circumstances surrounding the transloading process that triggered the explosion.
