A desperate rush to collect petrol spilled from a fallen tanker preceded a devastating fire that left several people injured and many others feared dead near Oluku Market in Benin City, Edo State, highlighting the deadly risks of approaching fuel spills before emergency responders secure an accident scene.

The incident occurred at about 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, when the tanker reportedly fell while attempting a U-turn near the market, spilling petrol onto the road and adjoining drainage channels.

Eyewitnesses said residents and passers-by rushed to collect the fuel in buckets and jerrycans before security operatives could secure the area.

The situation turned catastrophic when the tanker burst into flames, leaving people around the scene scrambling for safety.

An eyewitness, Obasogie Felix, said a man who had collected petrol in a 25-litre container and strapped it to his motorcycle was riding away when the fire started.

“The man brought a 25-litre gallon and scooped fuel. He tied the gallon to his bike and was riding off, not knowing that it was leaking. Suddenly, we saw a spark and an inferno started,” Felix said.

Another witness, who admitted that he was also collecting the spilled petrol, said he narrowly escaped after a soldier warned him about the danger of the activity under the prevailing hot conditions.

“I was also among those who were scooping the fuel. I escaped by whiskers,” he said, recounting how the soldier drew his attention to the risk before the tanker caught fire moments later.

The witness said he turned to look back shortly after the warning and saw the tanker engulfed in flames, forcing people nearby to flee.

He credited the soldier’s intervention with helping him escape what could have been a fatal incident.

Another account indicated that the tanker owner had brought in a second tanker to evacuate the remaining fuel before the explosion, although the precise circumstances that triggered the fire had yet to be officially established.

As of the time of filing this report, the number of people killed had not been officially confirmed. Ten injured victims were reportedly taken to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital for treatment, while bodies of deceased victims were deposited at the hospital’s mortuary.

The hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Professor Idia Ize-Iyamu, was seen coordinating emergency personnel across the accident emergency and burns units as medical teams worked to stabilise victims and limit further loss of life.

Meanwhile, the Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Preye Bedford, said FRSC personnel, police officers, firefighters and officials of the Edo State Traffic Management Agency had been deployed to the scene to manage traffic and respond to the incident.

Bedford said the corps would provide casualty figures later.

The tragedy underscores the dangers of attempting to collect petrol from a damaged tanker before emergency responders have assessed and secured the scene. Spilled fuel can release highly flammable vapour, and an ignition source can trigger a rapidly spreading fire.

Until authorities establish the cause of the blaze and confirm the casualties, the full human cost of the Oluku incident remains uncertain. What is clear from eyewitness accounts is that the rush to recover spilled fuel placed people in the immediate vicinity of a potentially lethal hazard.