Police say eight injured in Edo tanker explosion as earlier FRSC count remains unresolved
Edo State Police say eight people sustained burns after a petrol tanker caught fire and exploded around Oluku Market on the Benin-Lagos Road.
Police said the injured were evacuated to the emergency ward of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital for treatment.
An earlier Federal Road Safety Corps account had reported 11 casualties.
Authorities have not yet publicly explained the difference between the earlier FRSC figure and the later police count.
No authoritative death toll has been confirmed in the material reviewed by IDNN.
Tanker fell hours before fire
Police said the petrol tanker fell near Oluku Market at about 7:30am.
Emergency and security personnel were deployed to the area, while people were moved away from the tanker and efforts were made to prevent fuel scooping.
Police said a fire later ignited at about 11:50am, engulfing the tanker and spreading into parts of the market.
The exact cause of the ignition has not been established in the official material reviewed by IDNN.
Police confirm eight burn victims
According to the later police statement, eight people sustained varying degrees of burns and were taken to UBTH for treatment.
That is the most specific current injury count available from the police.
An earlier FRSC update had used the broader term “11 casualties.”
The difference between those figures has not been officially reconciled.
IDNN is therefore not treating either figure as a final combined casualty total.
No confirmed deaths
Earlier reports had raised fears that people may have died in the incident.
FRSC, however, said it could not confirm any deaths at the time.
The later police update reviewed by IDNN also did not confirm a death toll.
Until an authoritative agency issues a confirmed update, IDNN will not report fatalities as established.
Vehicles and market property damaged
Police said the fire damaged:
- two buses;
- an Audi saloon car;
- a truck; and
- parts of Oluku Market.
The total value of losses has not yet been officially determined.
Traders were also reported to have lost goods and other property in the blaze.
What remains unresolved
Several important questions remain open.
Authorities have not formally established the cause of ignition.
The difference between the earlier FRSC figure of 11 casualties and the later police count of eight injured people has not been explained.
No final official assessment of property losses has been released.
And no authoritative death toll has been confirmed.
Public-safety consequence
The incident again highlights the danger around overturned fuel tankers before their contents have been fully recovered or secured.
Authorities have repeatedly warned members of the public not to approach fallen tankers or attempt to scoop petroleum products because of the risk of ignition, fire and mass casualties.
What happens next
The next verification points are a final casualty update, any hospital-status information authorities choose to release, the cause of the fire and an official assessment of damage around Oluku Market.
IDNN will update the story if police, FRSC, hospital authorities or other responsible agencies issue a reconciled casualty figure.
For now, the evidence-bound frame is:
Edo Police say eight people sustained burns and were taken to UBTH. An earlier FRSC account reported 11 casualties. Authorities have not yet explained the difference, and no deaths have been confirmed by the authorities reviewed by IDNN.