The Enugu State Ministry of Transport denied reports that a road crash caused a fatal inferno at the Ugwu Onyeama axis of the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway [1].
The denial aims to curb the spread of misinformation and prevent public panic following conflicting reports about the scale of the incident [1].
Officials addressed reports that surfaced on Thursday, June 13, 2024 [2]. Some accounts suggested the disaster was catastrophic, with claims that the inferno claimed more than 50 lives [1]. However, a spokesperson for the Enugu State Ministry of Transport said, "The reports of a fatal inferno are totally false and misleading" [1].
Discrepancies remain regarding the actual number of casualties from the crash. While the ministry dismissed the reports of a mass inferno, other reports provided differing figures. SaharaReporters cited witnesses who said four people died in the crash [2]. Conversely, other reports regarding a tanker explosion on the same road indicated there was no loss of life [3].
The Nigerian Army also entered the discourse, denying that one of its checkpoints caused the crash [2]. The Ugwu Onyeama stretch is a known high-traffic area, making it a frequent subject of road safety reports and occasional misinformation during accidents.
Government officials said that the public should rely on verified information from official channels to avoid the chaos associated with exaggerated claims [1].
“"The reports of a fatal inferno are totally false and misleading."”
The wide variance in reported casualties—ranging from no deaths to more than 50—highlights the volatility of real-time information during transit accidents in Nigeria. The official denial by the Ministry of Transport serves as a corrective measure against social media amplification, though the contradiction between witness accounts and government statements suggests a lack of immediate, transparent casualty verification.
