Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
Eleven people have sustained varying degrees of burns following a petrol tanker explosion at Oluku Market in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State.
The explosion occurred around 1 pm on Thursday after a tanker that had fallen earlier in the morning caught fire while residents were scooping spilled petrol.
The victims were taken to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital for treatment, as the explosion triggered a fire that spread to nearby shops and affected vehicles in the area.
An eyewitness said petrol from the fallen tanker had flowed into drainage channels around which shops were built at Oluku Market, creating a path for the fire to spread.
The witness, who said he was among those scooping fuel before escaping, credited a soldier with warning him about the risk of an explosion.
“I was also among those scooping the fuel. I escaped by whiskers. It was a soldier who called me and drew my attention to the fact that the weather was sunny and the way people rushed to scoop the fuel could ignite a fire.
“As I looked back after he spoke to me, the tanker burst into flames as people around the area ran for their lives. I thank the soldier; if not, I would have been burnt by now,” the eyewitness said.
The source added that two men from northern Nigeria who were directly beneath the tanker suffered burns, while several shops constructed over the drainage channels were destroyed by the fire.
At the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, emergency teams were mobilised to treat the injured. The hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu, coordinated the response across the accident and emergency and burns units to stabilise critically injured victims and reduce fatalities.
Personnel of the Edo State Fire Service also responded to the scene to contain the blaze.
The number of fatalities, if any, had not been confirmed at the time of filing this report.
