President Muhammadu Buhari has shown sympathy to the victims of the oil tanker fire incident in Onitsha, Anambra State. The incident led to the death of a mother and her child.

President Buhari said:
“I am profoundly touched by the sight of the charred remains of an innocent mother and her child who are victims of this tragedy. I also extend my sympathies to other victims of the explosion whose houses, shops and other property were destroyed in the mishap.”

“While I express sadness over this tragedy, I must at the same time call for urgent action on the part of those concerned to stem these frequent fatal disasters on public roads.”

“Safety precautions and routine maintenance are taken for granted by vehicle owners.”

“I call on the Ministry of Transport, the Federal Road Safety Commission and other stakeholders to urgently address the issue of safety standards in the country, with a view to stemming the embarrassing frequency of these tragedies”.

Meanwhile, people involved in the fire Incident are still counting their losses.

On Wednesday, the incident started when a tanker filled with petrol lost control around Toronto Hospital and veered off the service lane. The tanker fell from the vehicle and went up in flames after spilling its content. As at the time the fire started at about 10am, there was no fire service personnel present. People were seen trying to quench the fire with water.

Igberetv gathered that the woman carrying her baby tried to jump out of her shop, but missed her steps and fell into a gutter raging with fire. Three other people were also confirmed dead.

Forty buildings and scores of shops were also affected by the disaster.

Residents, including the old and children in most of the buildings, were trapped as youths experienced difficulty in rescuing them.