EDO TANKER TRAGEDY: HOW SCOOPING FUEL LED TO DEADLY INFERNO, 6 DEAD, 2,000 TRADERS COUNT LOSSES

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 Edo tanker explosion Oluku market tragedy occurred on Thursday morning when a tanker laden with Premium Motor Spirit fell while attempting to turn into the Oluku bypass along the Benin-Lagos Highway, reportedly after hitting a bad portion of the road.

THE INCIDENT

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 .

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.

Six cars, two tankers and a truck conveying biscuits were also burnt .

THE TRADERS’ LOSS

A trader, Mrs Faith Julius, said she had recently bought goods worth more than ₦2 million and borrowed another ₦2 million to purchase solar systems just two days before the incident .

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.

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THE GOVERNOR’S RESPONSE

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.

“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 criticised the tanker’s owners for attempting to transfer the fuel without adequate safety precautions.

THE FIRE SERVICE’S DEFENCE

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.

WHY IT MATTERS

The Oluku tanker explosion is a tragedy that was entirely preventable. The road was bad. The tanker fell. People rushed to scoop fuel. A fire broke out. Six people died. Two thousand traders lost their livelihoods.

Every step in that chain could have been broken. The road could have been repaired. The tanker could have been driven more carefully. The residents could have stayed away. The fire service could have been allowed to do its job.

But none of that happened. And now, a community is in mourning, and thousands of traders are counting their losses.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the governor has promised to rebuild the market. The investigation into the incident continues.