A tragic incident occurred in Rivers state, Nigeria, as a tanker explosion claimed the lives of a pregnant woman and four others while also burning over 120 vehicles. According to reports, the tanker was carrying petrol and was attempting to avoid colliding with a bus when it fell and spilled its contents on the road.
The spilled petrol then caught fire, leading to a massive explosion that engulfed the surrounding area. The incident occurred at the Rumuokoro roundabout in Port Harcourt, and eyewitnesses reported seeing several people trapped in their vehicles as the fire quickly spread.
The pregnant woman and four others were confirmed dead, with several others sustaining varying degrees of injuries. Emergency services were quickly deployed to the scene and worked to put out the fire and evacuate people from the area.
The incident caused a major traffic gridlock, with road users advised to use alternative routes to avoid the area. The state government has expressed sympathy with the families of the victims and promised to take steps to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. Tanker explosions are not uncommon in Nigeria, with many of them occurring due to poor road infrastructure, overloading, and reckless driving.
The government has been urged to take steps to improve road safety and enforce regulations to prevent such incidents from occurring.
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