Serious panic was recorded at Aroma junction Awka, Anambra capital, on Wednesday after a tanker carrying a substance suspected to be inflammable fell and began to spill its content.

The incident caused passengers, drivers, hawkers and others around the place to scamper for safety.

Many were seen running towards the state secretariat road, some Ifite road, while others ran towards the Eke Awka and Government House direction due to the fear that the substance might catch fire.

But a few minutes later, the truck driver, Kingsley Ogu, came out of the vehicle and explained that he was carrying palm kernel oil used for soap making and not a petroleum product.

Mr Ogu, who said he was coming from the Amansea axis of Enugu/Onitsha Expressway to Onitsha, said he was trying to avoid hitting a bus with an Anambra government registration number when he veered off the road.

“As I tried to avoid the bus, my tyres accidentally climbed the pavement by the road and suddenly resulted in the truck falling,” he said.

Ogu said his truck was carrying 33, 000 litres of palm kernel oil for industrial use and was heading to Onitsha.

A witness said the driver, with the registration number Anambra UKP 771 YA, avoided hitting an 18-seater bus carrying a team of Anambra State Revenue task force patrol team when the accident occurred.

“The driver of the truck had struggled to control the vehicle in vain after the bus delayed in leaving his way as he descended the road, which is a bit sloppy”, the source, who identified himself as Chinedu, said.

In less than 15 minutes after the incident, a team of firefighters from the state arrived at the scene and began to pour water on the substance, which spilt on the road and spread toward Dr Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka.

One of the firefighters sighted at the scene said it was their director that would speak on the matter as they were still busy with the work.

When contacted, Martin Agbili, the director, Anambra State Fire Service, did not pick up his calls even as the team was still working.

(NAN)