UPDATED: Oluku tanker explosion leaves many injured as fire engulfs shops

Several people were feared dead, while others sustained severe burns on Thursday after a petrol tanker overturned and exploded in a massive fireball along the Benin-Lagos Expressway near Oluku, Benin City, Edo State, raising fresh concerns over the dangers of scooping fuel from fallen tankers.

The incident reportedly occurred after the tanker overturned at about 7:45 a.m., spilling its contents onto the road.

The situation was said to have taken a deadly turn at about 1:00 p.m. when the spilled petrol ignited, engulfing the area in flames and triggering panic among residents, traders and motorists.

Although the exact casualty figure remained uncertain as emergency responders battled to contain the inferno and clear the debris, several victims were rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) for urgent medical attention.

Sources at the hospital said the injured included pregnant women and a military officer who reportedly sustained burns while attempting to rescue victims.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), however, said it had yet to receive confirmation of any death from the incident, putting the number of casualties reported to it at 10 as of the time of its statement.

The Edo State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Preye Ezekiel Bedford, who visited the scene, said military personnel, police officers and firefighters from the state and federal services were still working to extinguish the remaining flames and evacuate debris.

Bedford, who commended the security personnel and emergency responders for their efforts, said the authorities might establish the actual casualty figure after completing the evacuation and clearing operations.

He lamented that people continued to risk their lives by scooping fuel from fallen tankers despite repeated safety warnings, adding that some of those at the Oluku scene resisted efforts by security operatives to drive them away from the danger zone.

According to him, some fuel scoopers allegedly turned around and attacked military personnel, road safety officers and firefighters attempting to prevent them from approaching the tanker.

The FRSC commander said the development underscored the need for sustained public enlightenment through town hall meetings, churches and other community platforms to discourage the dangerous practice.

An eyewitness who narrowly escaped the inferno said she was among those scooping fuel when a soldier warned her about the danger posed by the prevailing conditions and the possibility of an explosion.

She said she turned around shortly after the warning when the tanker suddenly burst into flames, forcing people in the vicinity to flee for their lives.

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The survivor, who expressed gratitude to the soldier for drawing her attention to the danger, said the fire engulfed nearby shops, including structures built along a drainage channel, while two men reportedly trapped beneath the tanker suffered severe burns.

At the UBTH, the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu, was said to be coordinating emergency care for victims across the accident, trauma and burns units as medical personnel worked to stabilise those with critical injuries.

Firefighters from the Edo State Fire Service and the Federal Fire Service, alongside police officers, military personnel and other emergency responders, remained at the scene to contain the blaze and facilitate rescue and recovery operations.

The incident has once again highlighted the deadly consequences of fuel scooping, a recurring hazard on Nigerian highways, where overturned petroleum tankers often attract residents and passers-by despite the risk of fire, explosions and mass casualties.

Authorities were yet to release a final casualty figure or a comprehensive account of the damage to property as emergency operations continued.