One person was yesterday killed in a fuel tanker explosion at the Marina Road, Calabar, injuring over 11 persons and destroying property worth billions of naira. The fuel tanker which skidded off the road shortly after loading fuel from Shoreline Logistic, a subsidiary of Adax, Marina Road Calabar along the cost line of Calabar river overturned as the driver was trying to meander out of the gate of the company spilling off its content and exploding into flames emitting thick smoke that was sighted about 6km radius in Calabar Municipality.
The fuel which flowed down the slope at the beach area amidst flames consumed over 20 vehicles parked along the road while residential buildings and shops were also touched.
Also burnt were facilities of the Shoreline Logistic Company which included haulage trucks, fuel storage tanks, offices and other equipments worth billions of naira. A camp with over 10 buildings
located about 200m from the scene of the inferno was also burnt displacing over 30 occupants.
An eye witness Mr. Okechukwu recounted that he was on the steering of his truck waiting for the fuel tanker to meander its way out of the gate of the company unto the road when suddenly it skidded and turn over spilling its content and busting into flames.
Okechukwu said the explosion threw up a man suspected to be the driver of the tanker about 10m high and landing him into a thick flame that had enveloped the tanker.