By Olaitan Ibrahim
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic petrol tanker explosion on the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway that claimed 11 lives on Saturday.
The accident, which occurred at Ugwu-Onyeama, involved a tanker that reportedly suffered a brake failure, spilling its contents and igniting a deadly fire.
During a visit to the accident site for an on-the-spot assessment, Governor Mbah commiserated with the families of the victims and described the incident as “unfortunate.”
He assured that the state government had swung into action to ensure survivors receive full medical care.
“My Health Commissioner, Special Adviser on Health, Chief Medical Director of Enugu State University of Science and Technology Teaching Hospital, the police, and FRSC are all involved in providing maximum medical attention to the survivors,” Mbah stated.
The governor also outlined immediate and long-term measures to prevent future occurrences. These include enforcing stricter road safety regulations and repairing the damaged section of the Federal road where the accident occurred.
“We are not going to wait for the Federal Government to fix the road. We will take immediate steps to address the issue and ensure that such incidents never happen again,” he said.
Mbah directed the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Sector Commander in Enugu, Franklin Agbakoba, and the state’s Commissioner for Transport, Obi Ozor, to enforce the use of anti-spill locks on tankers transporting inflammable substances.
The FRSC Sector Commander briefed the governor, confirming that the accident resulted from brake failure and led to the tragic loss of 11 lives. Several injured individuals were rushed to nearby hospitals.
The sector commander commended Governor Mbah for his prompt response and his commitment to covering the medical bills of the victims.