By Amofokhai Williams
A petrol tanker explosion at Oluku Market along the Benin–Lagos Expressway in Edo State has left several people with severe burns, destroyed vehicles and shops, and raised fresh concerns over the dangers of scooping fuel from fallen tankers.
The incident occurred on Thursday after a petrol-laden tanker reportedly overturned near Oluku Market, spilling its contents onto the road and adjoining drainage channels.
Eyewitness accounts indicated that the tanker fell in the morning, around 7:30 a.m. to 7:45 a.m., attracting residents and passers-by who gathered to scoop the spilled petrol before the situation escalated into a major fire.
The explosion reportedly occurred at about 1 p.m., engulfing the surrounding area in flames and forcing people to flee for safety.
Ten people were reported to have sustained severe burns and were taken to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) for treatment.
The hospital mobilised its emergency personnel to attend to the victims, with its Chief Medical Director, Professor Idia Ize-Iyamu, coordinating efforts across the accident and emergency and burns units.
However, reports of fatalities remained conflicting. While some media accounts reported that between two and five people had died, the Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Preye Ezekiel Bedford, said no death had been officially confirmed to the corps as of his latest update.
Bedford explained that emergency responders were still working at the scene, extinguishing the remaining flames and evacuating debris, adding that the actual casualty figure could become clearer after the operations.
The inferno also caused extensive damage to property around Oluku Market. Vehicles, shops, food items and other goods were reportedly consumed by the fire, leaving traders distressed over their losses.
Channels Television reported that the value of the destroyed property was estimated to run into millions of naira. The Chairman of Ovia North-East Local Government Area, Orobosa Eriamiatoe, and the Aiyobahan of Benin, Chief Osamede, visited the scene to assess the damage and sympathise with affected traders and residents.
A survivor who said he was among those scooping fuel recounted how a soldier warned him about the danger shortly before the tanker burst into flames.
He said he turned around after receiving the warning and saw the tanker erupt, forcing people around the scene to scramble for safety. He credited the soldier’s intervention with helping him escape the inferno.
Another eyewitness account indicated that people continued gathering around the fallen tanker despite attempts by security personnel to disperse them before the explosion.
Bedford condemned the practice of scooping fuel from fallen tankers, warning that it exposes residents and passers-by to potentially fatal explosions. He said security operatives and emergency personnel faced resistance from some people at the scene while attempting to keep them away from the danger zone.
He called for sustained public enlightenment through community meetings, churches and other platforms to discourage the dangerous practice.
Personnel of the FRSC, police, military, Edo State Fire Service and Federal Fire Service were involved in managing the incident, controlling traffic and containing the fire.
