Many feared dead in multiple petrol tanker explosions in Rivers

An unspecified number of people have been killed after tankers laden with petroleum products burst into flames on a section of the East-West road in Eleme, Rivers state.

The incident, which left travellers stranded for hours, occurred on Friday night.

Some of the victims of the multiple explosions were said to have been trapped in their vehicles as the blasts raged.

The cause of the explosions are not clear at the time of reporting. However, eyewitnesses have pointed to "dangerous driving and negligence".

The Nation quoted Segun Owolabi, an eyewitness, as saying that one tanker collided with a vehicle before bursting into flames, leading to a domino effect.

"I saw four dead bodies burnt. Some may have been in the bushes because many ran away. I saw a whole stretch of vehicles burnt down, trailers burnt down," Owolabi said.

"There seems to be a truck carrying substances and it was as if it had collided with another vehicle that may have ignited the fire. Over 20 vehicles burnt down and several people trapped.

"There may be more bodies. Oh my God this is a tragedy. A stretch of vehicles burnt."

Another eyewitness said he heard a loud explosion from a petrochemical complex in the area.

"I heard a very loud sound about 20 minutes ago, and people were shouting," he said.

"The sound came from the petrochemical company area. So when I came out I saw thick smoke with fire from a distance."

The inferno reportedly raged for hours before it was put out by firefighters.