At least 11 people were injured after a petrol tanker exploded near Oluku Market on the Benin–Lagos Expressway in Edo State on Thursday, with emergency authorities reporting no confirmed deaths at their latest update.
The Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Preye Ezekiel Bedford, said 11 people were injured in the incident and that authorities had not received confirmed information of any fatalities when he spoke.
That position differs from early reports that some people were feared dead. No verified death toll had been established at the latest confirmed update.
Tanker overturned before blast
The tanker reportedly overturned near Oluku earlier on Thursday before exploding at about 1pm.
Fuel spilled from the vehicle, while the resulting fire affected property around the scene, according to reports.
Some published accounts said people had approached the spilled fuel before the explosion. That sequence has not been independently established as the cause of the fire, and authorities had not publicly confirmed the exact ignition source at the latest update.
Emergency personnel, including the FRSC, police, military and fire service, responded to the scene.
The injured were taken for medical treatment, with the University of Benin Teaching Hospital identified in reports as one of the facilities receiving victims.
Fatality reports remain unconfirmed
The casualty position remains the most important unresolved part of the incident.
Although initial accounts said some people were feared dead, the FRSC said no death had been officially confirmed when its sector commander gave his update.
The verified position therefore remains that 11 people were reported injured, while any fatalities were still unconfirmed.
Authorities are expected to reconcile emergency and hospital records as treatment continues and the incident is investigated.
What investigators still need to establish
The investigation will need to determine how the tanker overturned and what triggered the subsequent explosion.
Authorities may also need to clarify the sequence between the tanker’s fall, the fuel spill, the arrival of emergency responders and the eventual fire.
Until those facts are established, no conclusion can safely be drawn about the cause of the ignition or whether any preventable failure contributed to the incident.
The explosion underscores public-safety warnings against approaching overturned tankers and spilled petroleum products.
