Man in Tears As 11 Members of His Family Die in Road Accident Resulting From Fatal Tanker Fire

• A Nigerian man has narrated how 11 members of his family perished in a tanker fire along the Enugu-Onitsha expressway
• His elder brother, Mr Jeremiah Nwaji, his wife, six children, his maid, his male servant, and younger brother, Emmanuel all died
• Ikechukwu Nwaji said the 11 people were travelling to Ebonyi state for the burial of their father when the fatal incident happened

A Nigerian man has expressed sadness over the tragic death of 11 members of his family.

The man narrated the ugly incident which took the lives of his brother, Mr Jeremiah Nwaji, his wife, six children, his maid, his male servant, and younger brother, Emmanuel.

According to him, the 11 people were on their way from Onitsha, Anambra state to Ebonyi state where they were supposed to attend the burial of their late father.

However, when they got to Enugu, there was a tanker explosion and they were caught in the devastating inferno.

Read also

Stray bullet kills woman as gunmen kidnap poly student in Delta

Narrating the story, Ikechukwu Nwaji told Punch Newspaper that the incident happened on Saturday, January 25.

He said:

"It was during the preparation of our father’s burial that my elder brother, Mr Jeremiah Nwaji, and his family; his wife, six children, his maid, his male servant, and my younger brother, Emmanuel (11 of them) died. They were travelling in a Sienna bus from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Ebonyi State for the burial on Saturday, January 25th, 2025, when they were caught up in a tanker fire and burnt to death around 11am at the Ugwu Onyeama along Onitsha-Enugu Expressway, Enugu."

Tanker fire burns 11 members of the same family

He said the 11 victims were burnt beyond recognition and they only buried their ashes.

His words:

"We learnt that a tanker loaded with premium motor spirit (petrol) skidded and exploded into flames of fire. They were burnt to ashes. I say this because when we got there on Sunday, what we saw and packed into a nylon bag were ashes and the burnt remnant of the Sienna bus."

Read also

Breaking: Edo Tribunal takes major action as INEC fails to present witnesses, details emerge

Nwaji said he was alarmed when he called the phone numbers of his brother, his wife and others in the bus and their phones were switched off.

The next day, he had to travel to Enugu after hearing there was a tanker fire which killed many people.

He said:

"As early as 6am on Sunday, I was already on my way to the Ugwu Onyeama area in Enugu, Enugu State. On reaching there, I saw the Sienna bus in which they were travelling, and I also saw their carcasses in the burnt vehicle. They were merely skeletons with heads and for the children, small heads but in ashes. Some people who looked into the Sienna with me said they were roasted like goats or other domestic animals. But I told them those were my family members; my brothers, my elder brother’s wife, and others. They were about 11 people. To further confirm, I proceeded to Park Lane Hospital, Enugu that Sunday; my elder brother and others were not there. We went to other hospitals in Enugu to check if they were among the injured people, but we didn’t find them. Towards the evening of that Sunday, we met some road safety officials who confirmed that no occupant of the Sienna bus came out alive."

Read also

Southeast insecurity: Justice Azuka, other prominent politicians kidnapped, killed

Nwaji revealed that his late elder brother was a classmate of Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi state.

NYSC members escape road accident

In a related story, Legit.ng reported that a Nigerian man who is a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) said on his way to camp he had an accident.

According to him, the bus was carrying other NYSC members who were going to the NYSC camp for orientation activities.

However, the man said he and his colleagues survived the accident although the bus caught fire and burnt badly.

Source: Legit.ng