Mr Ejiro Otarigho, the driver of the petroleum tanker that exploded in Agbarho town, Ughelli North Local Government Area, has expressed gratitude for risking his life to escape a calamity that would have killed citizens and destroyed property in the area.

Speaking on the incident which occurred at about 7 pm on Saturday, Otarigho, an indigene of the community who got married two months ago, said he was driving from a filling station where he had deposited some petrol when his “boy” alerted him of the fire that was coming out of the truck.

"The first thing that l told myself was ‘Ejiro, don’t stop; if you stop this truck, there will be disaster; people will die and properties will destroy; Let it be between me and the truck; Take this truck straight to Agbarho River at the expressway’. That was when l started to speed towards the bank of the river and the fire was burning as l was going.

Meanwhile, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly and governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, has praised Mr. Ejiro Otarigho's bravery in averting calamity.