Eight persons were confirmed dead in a petroleum tanker explosion at the Ometan-Okpe community along the ever-busy Effurun-Sapele Road in Okpe local government area of Delta state on Friday.

Leadership correspondent who visited the scene of the incident gathered that a breastfeeding mother and her three-month-old baby were among the casualties.

The mother was reportedly burnt to death while trying to rescue her three-month-old baby who was trapped in the inferno.

Sources at the scene of the incident also disclosed that a 16-year-old secondary schoolgirl and her mother who were trapped in their apartment were among the deceased.

Sympathisers covered the lifeless bodies of the victims with zinc while a total of seven residential buildings, an oil and gas company complex and chains of makeshift buildings were razed by the explosion. Also destroyed were three vehicles and heavy duty truck

The fuel-laden tanker was said to have exploded and razed buildings and other property in the community.

The incident reportedly happened after a tanker said to be carrying fuel developed a mechanical fault and reportedly lost the head while in motion thereby resulting in an explosion on the busy Ometan-Okpe junction.

Eyewitnesses at the scene, who not only described the scene as chaotic and horrific, blamed the incident on the tanker driver whom they accused of overspeeding.