No fewer than 69 persons were burnt to death this evening when a tanker loaded with Premium Motor Spirit otherwise known as petrol lost control and rammed into the Asaba Motor Park at Upper Iweka, Onitsha and exploded into a big ball of fire. The 40-foot tanker was descending from Army Barracks side of the Onitsha - Enugu Expressway when the accident occurred.

Reports say the tanker and eleven other vehicles, mostly commuter buses and two motorcycles inside the Asaba Park Onitsha inside the park were burnt beyond repair.

Governor Willie Obiano who immediately rushed to the scene of the accident, on hearing it, wept on seeing the number of casualties. The Governor told the relations of the victims to take heart and promised that the state will help in ensuring that the living victims are well taken care of in their respective hospitals

According to the Nigerian Red Cross Society Chairman, Prof Peter Emeka Kathy, “We have 69 burnt to dead persons as at now. There are other 30 casualties – a casualty is a living person; a dead person is no longer a casualty, so 69 persons are dead, and they have been evaluated to various mortuaries in Onitsha, from Toronto to St Charles Boromneo mortuaries and others in town.”