Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara visited the site of the tanker explosion that killed an unconfirmed number of persons in Eleme Local Government Area.
The Governor was accompanied by the Commissioner for Police, Olatunji Disu,and the Commissioner for Energy, Maximus Nwafor.
The inferno engulfed over 50 vehicles, with some bodies found burnt beyond recognition in cars, along the road, and in a nearby drainage.
Governor Fubara, after inspecting the devastating site, directed security agencies to conduct a thorough assessment of the accidents to facilitate the provision of aid to victims’ families.
He said, “Yesterday around 7-8pm, we go information about a very serious inferno that was caused by a tanker conveying PMS.
“I got the information through the MD of Indorama and immediately alerted the security agencies. From what we are seeing this morning, it was a very pleasant case.
“We recorded, from what I am seeing, a huge number of vehicles being destroyed and souls lost. I have already asked the security agencies to give us a full brief. So that we can come into the situation fully by seeing how much we can support the families of the bereaved and see how we can cushion the effect of the losses.”
He also lamented the deteriorating condition of the Eleme section of the East-West road.
“We all know the situation of this road; it is really really unfortunate. Most of our people when plying this road do so with caution,” he said.