The Accident which occurred at about 12 noon on Wednesday was the second tanker accident in the same place, that had claimed over Fifty lives this year.
The latest victim among whom were a pregnant woman and her three year old baby on her back.
According to eye witness account the woman had gone back to her shop after escaping from the flame of the fire from the drainage Chanel to bring out her money in the shop.
The fire which followed the flow of the fuel running through the drainage channel had then touched wooden bar to her shop.
As she stepped on the top of the wood, it caved in and she felled into the drainage with the child on her.
Efforts to rescue her proved abortive as the flame coming from the surging fuel scared sympathies away.
The Accident which happened in front of Tronto Hospital, Onitsha had the head of the tanker pulled off and crashed about half a Kilometer away while the body bust into flame instantly.
The accident forced traders at Upper Iweka, Ochanaja, Iweka road to Ozomagala to shut down abruptly as the flames continues as the long as the fuel flows down the streets.
Meanwhile properties and goods worth Millions of naira was razed down at the ochanja market, while a branch of a commercial bank was also touched.
When our correspondent visited the scene of the incident, a surging sea of heads were seen along Iweka road while traders were also seen battling to quench the flame from spreading further with sachet water as the men of the fire service were no where to be seen near the area.
Some of the victims of the incidents at the ochanja. Mr. Agbo Romijus, Fabian Onah and Jude Nnamani whose goods were completely gutted by fire told our correspondent that the fire incident took them unaware.
According to them, they were sitting in their shops not expecting any danger when suddenly the flame burst from the opening space in front of the shop and before a twinkle of an eye spread into their shop from the wares displayed in front of the shop. “we lost everything we have laboured for in life” we are finished and no hope to overcome this incident”.
One of them, Jude Nnamani who was weeping uncontrollably said “ all his goods were gutted by the fire incidents.
“We are passionately appealing to the Governor of Anambra, Chief Willie Obiano to kindly come to our rescue because we have families and dependents and now we have no other hope”.
It was gathered that angry mobs attacked the police and the commissioner for trade Hon. Uchenna Okafor who rushed to the scene of the incident to ascertain the extent of damage.
On seeing the convoy, the mobs started throwing stones and other dangerous weapons on them, prompting the security operatives accompanied the government officials to shoot sporadically on air to scare away the surging crowd before they escape unhurt.
The police from the Onitsha Central Police Station were also not left out as the angry mobs also chased them away and injuring some of the officers.
Some of the traders who spoke to our correspondent said they were angry because members of the fire service were not seen anywhere as the fire incident rage on for over 6 hours of non-stop.
