VIDEO: 🔥 Tragedy Strikes in Anambra as Petrol Tanker Explosion Leaves City in Flames

VIDEO: 🔥 Tragedy Strikes in Anambra as Petrol Tanker Explosion Leaves City in Flames

Anambra State was thrown into confusion and fear on Saturday, September 6, 2025, when a petrol tanker suddenly burst into flames while discharging fuel at a filling station, sparking a massive fire that raged uncontrollably and left residents fleeing for safety.

The inferno broke out at Okeb Filling Station, located beneath the busy Amawbia flyover in Awka, the state capital. Viral videos shared on social media captured the terrifying moment thick plumes of smoke rose into the sky as fire engulfed the station, spreading rapidly and sending panic through the surrounding neighbourhood.

Eyewitnesses alleged that carelessness on the part of the tanker operators was to blame. According to voices overheard in the viral footage, the handlers were offloading Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in the heat of the afternoon sun while simultaneously inflating the tyres of the truck. That risky combination, witnesses claimed, sparked the deadly explosion that ignited the fire.

“Everybody was warning them, but they refused to stop. Suddenly, there was a loud sound, and fire spread everywhere. People ran in all directions,” a visibly shaken resident recounted.

The fire consumed large portions of the station, with flames leaping dangerously close to nearby shops and vehicles. Businesses around the location were forced to shut down abruptly, while motorists and commuters scrambled to safety, abandoning cars and personal belongings in the chaos.

When the Anambra State Fire Service eventually arrived, the damage had already become extensive. Many residents complained bitterly that the firefighting team did not respond in time, giving the inferno space to cause greater destruction. A shop owner near the station expressed deep frustration, saying: “If the fire service had arrived earlier, maybe they would have stopped it from spreading. The whole place is gone now.”

Though no deaths were immediately confirmed, several people reportedly sustained injuries while escaping the flames. Property worth millions of naira has been destroyed, and traffic along the Amawbia flyover and adjoining roads was brought to a standstill for hours as emergency teams battled to bring the situation under control.

The disaster has once again drawn attention to Nigeria’s longstanding struggle with safety standards in fuel handling. Experts insist that petroleum products should never be offloaded in open and unprotected environments, especially during high temperatures. Safety engineer, Chibueze Okonkwo, condemned the apparent negligence, warning that incidents like this will continue unless strict enforcement of fuel distribution protocols is carried out.

Public outrage has since mounted, with civil society groups and ordinary citizens demanding accountability from the operators of the filling station and from regulatory bodies. Many Nigerians, reacting online, said the explosion was avoidable and blamed it on weak enforcement of safety rules. Some even linked the tragedy to a culture of impunity where fuel station operators routinely ignore basic precautions without consequences.

As investigations are expected to commence, residents of Anambra are left to count their losses and recover from the shock of a fire that turned an ordinary Saturday into a nightmare. The blackened ruins of the Okeb Filling Station now stand as a stark reminder of the dangers of negligence, and citizens are anxiously waiting to see whether the authorities will take decisive steps to prevent a recurrence.

For the people who lived through the inferno, the question remains: how many more avoidable tragedies must happen before safety truly becomes a priority?