By Ochuko Akuopha

ASABA – Victims and residents, Monday, recounted their ordeal in the tragic diesel tanker explosion that left sorrow and tears on its trail at Agbor, headquarters of Ika South Local Government Area, Delta Delta State.

Four persons lost their lives and four others sustained burnt injuries in the unfortunate incident that occurred on Sunday.

First Bank, Access Bank and three other buildings housing shops and businesses were lost to the raging inferno, while the fence of St John’s Agbor was also torched.

It was gathered that those that lost their lives included the tanker driver, his conductor and two residents of the town

One of the deceased, Mrs. Deborah Adomgbor, a teacher at Staff Model Primary School, Agbor, was caught in the inferno while returning from a shop where she went to buy bread.

Recounting his ordeal when the State Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme paid his family a condolence visit, her tearful Mr. Festus Adomgbor, said his heart has been heavy since the incident occurred on Sunday.

“My children are with me and sympathizers are around and l begin to wonder what will happen when these visitations are over” he lamented.

According to him, they (himself, wife and last child) were on their way from church when his wife said she wanted to buy bread in the town.

“When we got to the town by the traffic light, l was driving. I parked by the First Bank. She came down and went to buy the bread by that traffic junction. We were waiting in the car and l saw her; she had already bought the bread and was coming toward our direction.

“There was this tanker l suppose was driving towards the Orogodo River; the road, at that 12. 30 pm was very clear, only for a vehicle to cross the tanker. The tanker now hit that small vehicle and started somersaulting.

“Something hit my car at the back and my wife was in between the tanker and my vehicle wanting to enter my vehicle when the exploration happened and the explosion hit her. So, l was confused; do I kick the car or what? I said no. If l kick the car, it might engulf me and my son.

“I opened the door and ran away. My son tried to open the door and l said push it. He came back and started running. It was while we were running, l looked back and saw my wife on the ground burning”,
Adomgbor said, breaking down in tears.

He expressed appreciation to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for this prompt action, saying “I know that there is nothing any person can do to bring my wife back to life, but it remains to be stated for the records that I never knew that the governor of this state could send this magnitude of entourage that I am seeing today to visit my home.”

Mr Sunday Omoruyi, an electrical and electronics dealer whose shop Sunnyland Electronics at 20, Old Lagos-Asaba Road, was consumed by the inferno, described the incident as devastating.

Omoruyi said his wife’s household and utensils shop at the next building was also not spared by the fire.

“Millions went down the drain. My shop alone is worth more than N35 million and my wife’s shop, approximately N15 million to N20 million.

“We thank God that this thing happened on a Sunday. If it were to be on a working day, it would have been very disastrous.”

Another victim who identified himself as Mr. Moses, said his motorcycle spare parts shop which he estimated to worth N38 million was gutted by the fire.

He said: “I feel very bad but we thank for everything because being alive, there is hope for us.”

He appealed to the State Government to assist them to start their businesses again “because, definitely, we will start afresh.”

Similarly, Dr. Patrick who said he was into ICT and National Identification number registration business said his shop was also consumed by the fire.

He said NIN registration devices and other office equipment worth millions of naira were destroyed.”

Speaking on the condition of the injured victims, the Zonal Medical Director of the Agbor Central Hospital, Dr. Stanley Nnoli said the hospital received four emergencies out of which two “were very severe and were really having complications and we referred them to a nearby tertiary centre.

For the remaining two, we were able to manage them and they were stable and we didn’t see reasons to keep them beyond yesterday (Sunday), so they have gone home and they are in good condition.”

Meanwhile, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori in a video call during the visit of the deputy governor to the Adomgbor
family, urged them to take heart and believe that God alone knew why it happened.

Speaking with newsmen when he led a delegation of top government functionaries to visit families of the victims and inspect the level of damage, the Deputy Governor, Sir. Monday Onyeme said the state government was touched by the unfortunate incident and assured of support to the victims.

He said; “what happened was an unfortunate accident. Those of us who are alive will do what we can to cushion the effects of the accident on the victims and their families.

“It was an unfortunate incident and our Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, asked us to come and see what happened, and commiserate with families of the victims.”