No fewer than 40 persons were burnt beyond recognition yesterday at the ever- busy Upper Iweka in Onitsha, Anambra State when a petrol tanker exploded at the Asaba Park axis after a suspected brake failure.

Fourteen L300 buses loading passengers inside the park and three motorcycles plying the area as at the time of the incident were also burnt. Among those killed in the fire were a  pregnant woman and little babies.

The tragic incident, which occurred at about 2.30p.m. threw residents and travellers in the commercial city of Onitsha into panic. Many wailed uncontrollably at the site of the charred remains  of the victims.

Victims of the accident were mostly drivers and passengers at the park, free readers who thronged the newspaper stands along the park, vendors and hawkers  in the area.

An eye witness, Victor Ugwumadu, said the driver of the petrol-laden tanker was descending the Upper Iweka flyover from the Enugu-Nkpor end of the expressway when the vehicle lost its brakes and the driver divaerted the vehicle into the busy NITEL Lane, where different transport companies load their vehicles before finally hitting the Asaba Park and ramming into the VIP toilet building, killing many people in the process.

Credit: sunnewsonline