A petrol tanker fell in the early hour of Sunday at Koko junction along Warri – Benin Highway in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State as Nigeria marked her 63rd independence anniversary.
The tanker fell with the fuel licking out, while some villagers rushed out to scoop free fuel from the tanker.
It was gathered that a spark from a faulty vehicle led to an explosion, with about 20 people burnt dead within the vicinity
An eye witness account Yusuf, stated that those who died included a pregnant woman, children, and some elderly persons.
He and some others tried to prevent them from scooping fuel, but said the youths threatened to beat them.
“They came in their numbers carrying all sorts of containers and when the explosion happened around 12:15 am this morning we all fled.
“You can see dead bodies on the ground, some of them ran into the forest as I speak some dead bodies have been removed, I counted over 20 bodies,” he said
