Breaking: Gas Explosion Wipes Family Of 11 In Ebonyi

.. Bereaved family seeks revisit policy banning truck movement in day time

Gas explosion that occured at the Ugwu Onyeama has claimed lives of family of eleven who are natives of Abofia Agbaja in Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi state. The bereaved brother of the victims, Mr Ikechukwu Nwaji who spoke with our Correspondent amidst tear said that the gas explosion that occured on weekend at Ugwu Onyeama in Enugu state claimed the entire family of Mr Nwaji Jeremiah on their private Sienna while they were on the way to Ebonyi for their late father's burial.

According to the family source, Ikechukwu Nwaji narrated that the victims were on their way from Onitsha Anambra state with his six children, wife, brother and his servants to the village where their sienna vehicle ignited fire from the explosion that burnt them to ashes. He lamented that the victim who was the bread winner of the family conveyed the entire family with his friend's sienna who gave him the vehicle to enable them carry all their belongings as the deceased father was slated to be buried on Friday of the week before he met his dead.

He called on president Bola Tinubu led federal government to revisit the policy that banned the movement of tanker carrying premium motor spirit otherwise known as fuel and gas to stop carrying the goods during the day adding that many families have lost their love ones in similar controllable situation. "It was disheartening that we lost eleven members of the family in a controllable situation involving my eldest brother and bread winner of our family, his wife, six children who are among a twin, our last born, our brother's house help and servants in a situation that there were burnt beyond recognition to a point that it was only ashes that we gathered and buried.

"They were in sienna vehicle coming to Ebonyi state from Anambra where the incident occured and were coming for our father's burial which was scheduled to come this week Friday before his own dead leaving the family with two siblings as my mother gave birth to four males. "As seen in other advance country, our family is pleading to president Bola Ahmed Tinubu to revisit the policy that stipulated that tankers should only move by night as seen before that drivers moved from 9:00 o'clock in the night till early morning where they pack to continue the next day seeing the havoc it is causing in our country.

Speaking with the bereaved sister and a widow, Mrs Chiamaka Onyibe narrated that the victim was the one paying her children school fees since she lost her husband adding that the family has lost their divine helper coupled with the fact that they were relocated to the family house by late brother since she lost her husband. Also, Mrs Ifeoma Oroke lamented that the family received the shocking news with mixed pain and prayed that the state and federal government would come to the family's aid. The deceased who was identified as a class mate (2004 set) of the Ebonyi state governor, Francis Nwifuru was campaign leader of the popular Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru's,(FON) Coordinator Anambra state chapter before his dead.