NIGERIA: Gasoline tanker crashes on the east-west road in Nigeria's oil-producing Niger Delta killing at least 92 people including women and children (RTV)

Record ID: 235708

  • Title: NIGERIA: Gasoline tanker crashes on the east-west road in Nigeria's oil-producing Niger Delta killing at least 92 people including women and children (RTV)
  • Date: 12th July 2012
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) ADEDOYIN ADEYINKA, HEAD OF ROAD FEDERAL ROAD SAFETY, SAYING: "It was an accident that happened and it started around 6.30am this morning and before we got here, the tanker behind me fell down and people came out to scoop fuel and I want to use this medium to appeal to Nigerians that nothing is free and it is dangerous for people to come close to this type of accident or to move closer to vehicle." A WOMAN CRYING PEOPLE LOOKING WHILE OTHERS DOUSED THE FIRE WITH WATER (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOSEPH IBEGIRI SAYING: "We were told by an eye witness that there was a head-on collision between this tanker and another mini-bus toyota, and it possible as a result of the narrowness of the road and you can see the trace of the accident and government should intensify efforts to conclude the dualisation of this road to avert future occurrence and ensure there is medical facility along the roadside." PEOPLE LOOKING ON ROAD SAFETY PERSONNEL CLEARING THE ROAD BURNT MINI BUS BURNT MOTORBIKE
  • Embargoed: 27th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Accidents,Industry,Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVA8SXXQTE43IFBRPGEX79VCRLSQ
  • Story Text: At least 92 people including women and children were killed on Thursday (July 12, 2012) after a gasoline tanker crashed on the east-west road in Nigeria's oil-producing Niger Delta and caught fire as people tried to scoop up spilled fuel.
    Hundreds of people crowded around as soldiers and emergency workers lifted bodies into ambulances and police trucks.
    The fuel tanker was a pile of smouldering ash, twisted metal and melting tyres.
    Adedoyin Adeyinka, a road safety marshall said the accident had occurred in the early hours of Thursday: "It was an accident that happened and it started around 6.30am this morning and before we got here, the tanker behind me fell down and people came out to scoop fuel and I want to use this medium to appeal to Nigerians that nothing is free and it is dangerous for people to come close to this type of accident or to move closer to vehicle."
    Crashes are common on Nigeria's pot-holed and poorly maintained roads, and in a region where most people live on less than 2 U.S. dollars a day the chance to collect spilling petrol is too much of a temptation, despite the high risk of fires.
    Joseph Ibegiri, a resident in Port-Harcourt the state of the road had likely caused the accident: "We were told by an eye witness that there was an head-on collision between this tanker and another mini-bus toyota, and it possible as a result of the narrowness of the road and you can see the trace of the accident and government should intensify efforts to conclude the dualisation of this road to avert future occurrence and ensure there is medical facility along the roadside."
    The east-west road, which runs across the oil-producing region, has been scheduled for development for almost a decade and money is allocated for it in the budget each year.
    Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, is plagued by corruption and inefficiency. Most years only about half budgeted programmes are implemented.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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