The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) said on Thursday it had recovered 80 bodies from the scene of a tanker which burst into flames as people scrambled for petrol in a village in Rivers.
FRSC Sector Commander, Dr Kayode Olagunju, in a text message to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that the bodies were recovered as of 11.45 a.m. at Okobe, 11 km from Ahoada-Mbiama, in Ahoada West Local Government Area.
According to him, four vehicles, including the tanker, were involved in a crash early on Thursday, but the tanker caught fire when the people rushed for “free fuel.”
“People were scooping fuel from the tanker when it exploded, casualty figures definitely high, and about 20 injured persons already taken to the hospitals.
“Thirty-four motor-cycles also got burnt,’’ he added. (NAN)