ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi
The Chaplain of the Overcomers’ Chapel, Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, Pastor Ben Gin, has said he “miraculously” escaped with his entire family, the tanker explosion on Wednesday night.
NATIONAL ACCORD had earlier reported that three people scooping fuel were reportedly injured on Wednesday after a fallen petrol tanker exploded in front of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi.
The driver whose tanker was fully loaded with petrol, coming from Yelwa area and heading towards Dass, was trying to avoid hitting a Keke NAPEP which was in front of him by the speed breaker before the Federal Polytechnic gate and he lost control and fell.
The tanker which did not explode immediately it fell until after about 30 to 40 minutes caused pandemonium in the area as people scampered for their safety.
Speaking in an interview with our Correspondent on Thursday in Bauchi, he said that had barely passed the scene of the crash when the explosion happened.
He said: “I was going back home with my entire family from Rafin Zurfi where we have a bereaved family, a member of the Chapel, between 8.30pm and 9pm. On getting to about 100 meters to the Polytechnic gate, we saw that one of the lanes we were driving on was blocked and we had to take the other lane.
“We just asked somebody close by, just about 100 meters what exactly happened and he told us that a petrol tanker had fallen there in front of the Polytechnic gate. I asked him if it was carrying petrol and he answered in the affirmative and said that it was even pouring already.
“I was with my wife and my children, all my family was in my car and I asked my wife, what we should do as I drove close to the place and everywhere was smelling fuel.
“She just gave me this courage and asked me to drive through, because people were already getting scared and we drove passed the petrol tanker with the fuel still pouring.
“On getting to the exact spot, the head had just been disengaged and we passed in between the head and the tank and drove to our house. It was shortly after that, some few minutes later, that the explosion took place.”
The Chaplain expressed gratitude to God for rescuing him and his entire family “because it would have been a disaster if it took place while we were driving through, in between the head and the tank, and remember that fuel had already spilled on the ground. That was actually God’s intervention.”
He called on the Bauchi state government to beef up traffic control especially in the nights saying that “I think this accident was a traffic issue.”
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