The incident, which happened at about 1.30pm, left pedestrians, commuters and transporters stranded for several hours as the intensity of the inferno, which had spread to nearby buildings, slowed down movements in and out of the Cross River State capital.
PUNCH Metro identified the two dead victims to be the driver and conductor of the fuel laden tanker. The driver was burnt to ashes on his seat, while the conductor was flung out of the vehicle.
No fewer than 3000 persons gathered helplessly to watch the inferno before the arrival of firefighting trucks 40 minutes after the accident had occurred. Two buildings and two vehicles (Audi 80 and Peugeot 505) were also consumed by the fire.
It took the joint intervention of fire services from the Cross River State Government, Calabar Free Trade Zone and Nigeria Ports Authority, to put off the inferno which lasted for over two hours.
An eyewitness, Pastor Godwin Nsa, said the petrol-laden tanker driver tried to overtake that loaded with diesel at a tight end of the road when the accident happened.
He blamed the dead driver for not being cautious at that point.
"A tanker loaded with petrol tried to overtake another with diesel, unfortunately the former hit the latter from behind and both skidded off the road and their tankers fell. Immediately, the petrol tanker exploded and the driver, his conducted died on the spot," Nsa narrated.
Another eyewitness, Mr. Evans Bishop, said the accident happened when the two trailers were trying to avoid several parked trucks owned by a transport company that obstructed the free flow of traffic.
Bishop said in the process of overtaking along the tight end of the road, both trailers loaded with petroleum product collided, adding that this resulted in explosion which instantly killed the driver and his conductor.
He said, "I came out the moment it happened and I have been around for over an hour watching from a distance. A transport company has a terminal close to 'My Peoples Club' and they line up the trucks along the road. This had been the cause of the traffic snarl around this end.
"Government ought to have done something about the parking arrangement all these while. It is not right to park on the highway. Other road users should be free to use the road."
A fire fighter from NPA, who pleaded anonymity, said they responded immediately they got the signal.
No fewer than 12 fire fighting trucks were deployed to put off the inferno.
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