TheCable

Less than 48 hours after a petrol-laden tanker caused a fire outbreak in Ochanja area of Onitsha, Anambra state, another tanker has ignited an inferno in the city.

On Wednesday, a woman and her child were killed in the fire at Ochanja market while more than 100 shops were reportedly razed.

Emeka Obinwa, executive assistant on State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to the governor, confirmed the fresh incident to journalists on Friday, in Awka, the state capital.

Obinwa said the fire incident occurred at Omaba phase two around Chukwudi bus-stop in the city, when a petrol laden-tanker fell in the middle of Onitsha-Enugu expressway.

He said SEMA team visited the scene about 4 am, and that no life was lost in the incident.

Obinwa said the incident took the same pattern as that of Wednesday, but that the quick response of fire fighters saved the situation.

“The second fire outbreak in Onitsha within the week was equally severe, property worth several billions of naira including buildings, vehicles and other valuable property were affected at Omaba Phase two,” he said.

“The petroleum product spilled through the gutter and resulted in the fire extending beyond the point the vehicle fell.”

Obinwa said the fire engulfed a mechanic workshop around the area and burnt vehicles parked in the place.

He added that a full assessment of both Upper Iweka/Ochanja and Omaba fire outbreaks would be carried out by the agency.

Editor’s note: The picture in this report is only for illustrative purposes.