Videos and information making the rounds on social media showed people, vehicles, shops burnt by the fire as victims cried for their losses and called for urgent intervention to contain the blaze.
A massive fire outbreak at Oluku Market in Benin City, Edo State, has injured several people, destroyed shops, businesses and vehicles after a petroleum tanker reportedly overturned near market buildings on Thursday morning.
The incident reportedly occurred shortly after residents were seen rushing to scoop fuel from the fallen tanker, raising concerns about the dangers of collecting petroleum from accident scenes.
Videos and information making the rounds on social media showed people, vehicles, shops burnt by the fire as victims cried for their losses and called for urgent intervention to contain the blaze.
It was gathered that the fire raged for almost five hours without a response from the fire service, leaving affected residents and business owners in distress.
Almost 5 hours and no fire service response yet,” X user, @SofiaElma, said in a post, describing the incident as heartbreaking and appealing for help for the Oluku community.
The fire reportedly spread to nearby shops and businesses, with vehicles also said to have been burnt in the inferno.
As of the time of filing this report, the cause of the fire has not been officially established. It was also unclear whether anyone had died in the incident.
Also, the extent of the damage and the total value of property destroyed has yet to be verified.
The reported delay in the arrival of firefighters has also raised concerns about emergency response capacity and the protection of lives and property during major fire outbreaks.
SaharaReporters’ efforts to get official comments on the incident failed as neither the Edo State Police Command nor the Edo State Emergency Management Agency could be reached at the time of filing this report.
Fuel spills from overturned tankers pose significant fire and explosion risks, particularly when people gather around accident scenes to scoop petroleum. A spark or other ignition source can trigger a devastating fire.
Nigeria has recorded several incidents of petrol-laden tanker explosions where dozens of victims were killed in Niger, Kaduna, Lagos, Anambra and several other states across the country.
Residents and business owners in Oluku were left facing the prospect of substantial losses as the fire continued to threaten property in the market area.