There is commotion in Onitsha, the Anambra State commercial capital, as a petrol tanker fire razes areas around Ochanga Market, with many feared trapped and dead in the escalating inferno.

A official casualty figure is yet to be determined, but witness reports suggest that many, including women and children, have lost their lives in the flames, with tens sustaining various degrees of burns.

According to residents, a petrol tanker loaded with fuel was said to have lost control, fallen and exploded on traders, passersby and many others in the area.

Related: Mother and child burnt to death in Onitsha tanker fire

The ensuing fire was said to have spread to adjoining building, shops and stalls that dot the zone. The fire traced the path of the fuel spill, burning down everything in its way.

Many youths around were seen putting up spirited efforts to put out the fire, with many throwing sachets of pure water into the heart of the fire in a futile yet desperate attempt to stop the inferno.

They lamented that the fire had raged for two hours without any emergency government intervention.