From GEORGE ONYEJIUWA, OWERRI

Three persons were killed on Monday evening following a gas explosion at the Okpokiri filling station at the Orji town in Owerri North council area if the state.

Witnesses said the explosion  destroyed part of the filling station and shattered the Windows of the Diamond bank that is about hundred metres  away as well as the windows of a private primary school across the road.

A witness who was  identified as Emenike told the Daily Sun that he heard a loud explosion at about 5: 45 pm and that he had thought it was a bomb especially as the people around area scampered to safety.

He further disclosed that it was later that he knew that the explosion had come from the Okpokiri filling station along the Okigwe road at orji.

“Initially i did not know that it gas refilling tank at the filing station that had exploded we thought that it was a bomb because of the loud noise which even shattered glass windows around the area.

Explosion killed three of the workers at the filling station as their bodies were scattered every where around the filling station.”

Also, Pauline who lives few metres from the filling station said that she was in the house when she heard the loud explosion and that she thought that the ceiling of the house would have cave in because of the impact.

When our reporter arrived at the scene the sympathizers had thronged to the station to catch a glimpse of the mangled remains of the deceased.