The heroic burning tanker driver, Mr. Ejiro Otarigho, who drove the burning fuel tanker, said he wanted to plunge the burning tanker into the river, but the truck’s steering got stuck along the line.
“There was just one thought on my mind and that was to plunge the burning tanker into a river nearby,” Otarigho told BBC.
The incidence which happened at Agbarho, along East-West Road in Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State, on Friday, Before it when into flames, Otarigho was able to drive the burning tanker to a safe place.
An eyewitness, Roland, told Hiddengist that the heroic burning tanker driver did almost 500 meters with the burning tanker before jumping out.
Another said that the driver’s heroic act could have caused the loss of lives, houses, cars and many more would have been destroyed.
It was scary — The driver
He narrated his experience to BBC: ”My [assistant] was the one who alerted me to the fact that our tanker was on fire. It was a scary ball of fire.”
Mr. Ejiro said he had just offloaded some of the contents of the tanker and was heading towards another point when tragedy struck.
With no time to waste, he told his assistant to get off and he sped off in the burning tanker amidst shrieks of fear and dismay from onlookers.
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In the dangerous incident, any slight error of judgment from Mr. Otarigho or, an explosion, could have resulted in total disaster.
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“I intended to drive to the river. When I got there the car steering got stuck and I couldn’t move any further.
“I said if I drive straight, the truck may fall and that may cause another problem. So I just have to park in the open space.”
Mr. Otarigho finally got the tanker to safety and onlookers can be seen in one of the videos dragging him away.