Fuel tanker explosion in Edo leaves several feared dead, 10 injured

A fuel tanker crashed and burst into flames on the Benin-Lagos highway at Oluku in Edo State on October 15, and many people are believed to have lost their lives, according to reports. Ten other individuals suffered injuries of differing severity. The petrol tanker is said to have tipped over as it tried to turn around close to Oluku Market, causing its contents to spill onto the roadway. Witnesses recounted that soon after the vehicle overturned, local residents and passersby hurried to the site and started collecting fuel from the road and from drainage channels. One witness stated that those who got there early took part in the scooping until security personnel showed up and sealed off the location. The same witness said the truck’s owner subsequently sent another tanker to remove what remained in the overturned vehicle before an explosion occurred, and several victims were burned so badly they could not be identified. According to the witness, 10 people who were hurt were taken to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) for treatment, while the bodies were placed in the hospital mortuary.