By Ozioruva Aliu
At least six people have died and about 20 others injured after a petrol tanker explosion devastated two markets and several shops at Oluku, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, leaving about 2,000 traders counting their losses.
The incident occurred on Thursday morning when a tanker laden with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol, fell while attempting to turn into the Oluku bypass along the Benin-Lagos Highway. The accident reportedly occurred after the tanker hit a bad portion of the road.
The tanker’s contents spilled onto the road and surrounding areas, attracting residents who began scooping the leaking fuel into plastic containers despite warnings from security personnel, including soldiers, police officers, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officials and members of the Edo State Security Corps.
It was gathered that the tanker’s owners later brought another tanker to transfer the remaining fuel. A fire broke out during the operation, engulfing the two markets and about 30 other shops.
The inferno destroyed goods and property worth billions of naira, according to one of the market owners. Six cars, two tankers and a truck conveying biscuits were also burnt.
The affected markets belong to Chief Osamede Adun, popularly known as Bob Izua, and Comrade Osaze Uwaifo, the Okaighele of Oluku Community.
Some traders also alleged that thieves looted shops as the fire spread.
A trader, Mrs Faith Julius, said she had recently bought goods worth more than N2 million and borrowed another N2 million to purchase solar systems just two days before the incident.
The owner of one of the markets, Chief Adun, appealed to the state government for assistance.
“It has already happened. We are begging the state government to come and help us. You can see billions of naira gone up in flames,” he said.
Uwaifo described the incident as tragic, adding that the community would seek government assistance for affected traders.
A gas station owner, Mrs Efe Adodo, said the fire spread towards her facility but was contained with the help of fire extinguishers. She said nearby houses could have been destroyed had the station caught fire.
Governor Monday Okpebholo, who visited the affected traders on Friday, promised to rebuild Oluku Market and support those who lost their shops and goods.
He expressed sadness over the incident, describing it as avoidable, and urged residents to stay away from scenes involving spilled petroleum products.
The governor criticised the tanker’s owners for attempting to transfer the fuel without adequate safety precautions.
“Before the explosion, people were scooping fuel. The state and federal governments have spent a lot of money on advertisements to educate the public to stay away from such disasters, but people won’t listen,” he said.
He added that the decision to bring another tanker to evacuate the fuel without taking the necessary precautions contributed to the disaster.
During a visit to the burns and plastic ward of the Accident and Emergency Department of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), the governor reiterated his commitment to helping affected traders rebuild their livelihoods.
The market secretary, Blessing Itoje, told the governor that traders could not salvage their goods before the fire consumed their shops.
“We couldn’t even pick anything. Everything burnt to ashes. Some of us are widows, and we use our meagre earnings to care for our families. Some of the traders were admitted to hospital due to shock, while some are on oxygen. Please, our father, some of us are servicing loans as I speak,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Edo State Fire Service, Anthony Ojo, denied allegations of a poor emergency response.
Ojo said firefighters were deployed after his office received information about the incident but were chased away and pelted with stones by people attempting to access the spilled fuel.
“There was no explosion when the tanker fell. But they were after my men and stoned them. The people were after the product,” he said.
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