Residents of the Akamkpa area of Cross River State were seen scooping fuel from a fallen tanker on the roadside.
In the video, the residents were seen siphoning fuel into different kinds of kegs, buckets, from the falling tanker this Morning.
The residents in a just now-viral video on social media were seen scooping fuel from the fallen tanker into various jerry-cans and containers despite the danger attached to such practices.
Some of those scooping the fuel even reprimanded another individual who was recording the process with his phone camera in a moving vehicle and warned them of the dangers inherent in their action.
This happening occurred just days after a devastating tanker explosion claimed the lives of 181 people, at Majia , in Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
The tanker laden with petrol exploded at Majiya town, along the Kano-Hadejia expressway in Taura LGA of Jigawa state.
Where about 181 people lost their lives and many others were badly burnt and injured due to the fallen tanker explosion as residents attempted to scoop fuel from a fallen tanker.
Governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, reporting the devastating incident to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday disclosed that 181 people died and 210 families were affected in the tanker explosion.
The governor told the president that 80 people were hospitalized due to the incident, adding that the state government has paid their bills.
Days after the incident, one person died and a nursing mother hospitalized when a fire outbreak from a fallen tanker loaded with fuel destroyed many vehicles in the Ibafo area of the Obafemi Owode local government area of the state, along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
According to eyewitnesses, the driver of the tanker was suspected to have fallen asleep at the wheel, causing him to lose control, which led to the tanker’s fall and eventual explosion.
Last month, at least 48 people were killed in an explosion after a fuel tanker collided with another truck in Niger State. Also in Bayelsa in September 29th, 2024, there was a fallen tanker explosion, but fortunately, there were no report of death recorded.
In 2020 alone, there were 1,531 petrol tanker crashes resulting in 535 deaths and injuries to 1,142 people, according to Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps.
Tanker explosions can result in mass casualties as residents often look to siphon off fuel following accidents.
Fuel has also become an even more precious commodity as Nigeria suffers its worst economic crisis in a generation.
