By Chinedu Adonu

One person has been confirmed dead while three others sustained injuries in a road accident involving a cement-laden trailer and a fuel tanker along the Ugwu Onyeama axis of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.

The accident, which occurred on Monday evening, sparked fears of a major fire after a collision involving a tanker carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The Ugwu Onyeama section of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway has remained a major accident black spot over the years.

Initial reports claimed that three persons died in the crash, but the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said only one fatality was recorded.

Confirming the incident on Tuesday, the Public Education Officer of the FRSC Enugu State Sector Command, Route Commander Theophilus Okoduwa, said four male adults were involved in the crash, with one person losing his life while three others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

According to him, the injured victims were rushed to nearby medical facilities for treatment, while emergency responders moved swiftly to avert a possible explosion.

Okoduwa said the FRSC immediately alerted both the Federal and Enugu State Fire Services, whose personnel arrived promptly at the scene.

Meanwhile, the Enugu State Command of the Federal Fire Service disclosed that it received the first distress call at exactly 3:28 a.m., triggering an immediate high-priority emergency response.

The command said its crew achieved a turnout time of just three minutes, with the primary firefighting appliance, FFS 126, departing the station at 3:31 a.m.

The emergency team was led by the Officer-in-Charge, Divisional Superintendent of Fire (DSF) Ucheagwu Maxwell, while Senior Fire Assistant (SFA) Agbo navigated the appliance to the scene.

According to the service, initial intelligence on the scale of the incident was relayed by Assistant Commander of Fire (ACF) C.G. Ezeora, who provided critical updates from the Ugwu Onyeama axis.

Upon arrival, firefighters encountered what they described as an extremely hostile environment marked by intense radiant heat, continuous gas venting and the threat of a secondary Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE).

DSF Ucheagwu immediately established an operational safety perimeter and requested additional support to contain the emergency.
Firefighters subsequently deployed two medium jets, combining water and high-expansion foam concentrate to blanket the volatile tanker and suppress the danger posed by the leaking LNG.

The containment effort received further support with the arrival of appliance ENSFS 010 from the Enugu State Fire Service, enabling the establishment of a multi-agency water relay system that helped bring the situation under control.

Okoduwa said investigations into the cause of the accident were ongoing.
Eyewitnesses alleged that the cement-laden trailer, reportedly belonging to the Dangote fleet, suffered a brake failure before crashing into the tanker.

It was also gathered that soldiers stationed near the scene joined emergency responders in rescuing victims from the wreckage.

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