The explosion in Makhachkala occured at a fuel station after a fire broke out
IBTimes NG

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu urged the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to make it mandatory for petrol tankers to use anti-spill locks across the country.

This call followed a tragic incident over the weekend, where several people were killed when a petrol tanker exploded at the Ugwu-Onyeama section of the Enugu-Onitsha expressway.

Mbah made this statement on Tuesday during a visit by Zubaida Umar, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in Enugu. The visit was for the distribution of relief items to the victims of the explosion.

The governor explained that the anti-spill lock would help prevent the leakage of flammable materials in the event of an accident.

"As I stated when I visited the scene, we have disasters that we know that we obviously could not have envisaged or predicted; and when they happen, we trigger all the responses that we have set up," Mbah said, Premium Times reported.

He added, "I did call on the law enforcement agencies, particularly the FRSC, to ensure the enforcement of the anti-spill lock. This is because if we have anti-spill locks on those tankers carrying inflammable products like petrol and automotive gas oil, we will then be able to mitigate such disasters because even if the tanker falls, it will still not spill."

The governor explained that the explosion in Enugu on Saturday was caused by spilled petrol that spread to other cars and ignited. He used the opportunity to repeat his call for law enforcement to strictly enforce the use of anti-spill locks on all petrol tankers, stressing how crucial it is.

Mbah also assured that his administration is doing everything it can to ensure the survivors receive full medical treatment. He confirmed that the government will cover the survivors' medical bills.

The survivors are receiving care at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, and Enugu State University of Science and Technology Hospital, Park Lane.

The governor thanked President Bola Tinubu and NEMA for their quick response and support after the tanker explosion in Enugu. He expressed gratitude for the help provided, noting that it showed the strong partnership between the federal government and state governments.

Mbah highlighted that the state had ensured the necessary logistics to deliver the relief items to those most in need.

Originally published on ibtimes.ng