According to an eye-witness, the fire incident which started at about 11am, was caused by an explosion when a truck was discharging its contents.
The source hinted that all the customers who went to the gas plant to get a refill were allegedly burnt to death while some of the victims who were in the neighborhood and passers-by also got caught in the inferno. At the scene of the incident, the charred bodies of the victims and other severely burnt persons were taken to Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital, NAUTH, Nnewi. It was gathered that the inferno did not allow rescue workers into the factory where hundreds were allegedly trapped.