A tanker laden with premium motor spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, crashed along the Benin–Auchi Road in Edo State on Wednesday evening, triggering a fire outbreak.
It was gathered that the tanker spilled fuel into drainage channels linking several communities around Auchi, causing the flames to spread rapidly along the paths created by the escaping PMS.
As the vehicle was engulfed in fire, the inferno travelled through the drainages, igniting areas along the connected routes and escalating the incident.
An eyewitness revealed that “people certainly died but the number is unknown yet.”
The media learnt that several houses were affected by the fire.
The source also added that traffic along the road was disrupted due to the incident, with motorists advised to seek alternative routes.
One of the videos obtained shows local residents scooping petrol that had spilled onto the ground from the tanker.
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