A fire outbreak on Sunday evening devastated a petrol station near Boromeo roundabout in the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra.
A resident who witnessed the incident said a petrol-laden tanker exploded while waiting to discharge the fuel.
The witness disclosed that heavy traffic on Awka Road in the city delayed the arrival of firefighters, who later battled to contain the raging inferno.
The police spokesman in Anambra, Toochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident.
He explained that police officers attached to the Inland Town Divisional Headquarters, Onitsha, had arrived at the scene and cordoned it off to prevent hoodlums from taking advantage of the incident to loot.
Mr Ikenga further stated that preliminary investigation revealed that the truck caught fire inside the fuel station while waiting to offload its content.
He added that the cause of the explosion, the extent of damage, and the number of casualties had yet to be ascertained.
