By Flourish Osetohanmen

For the people of Oluku and its environs in Benin City, last Thursday started like every other good day until in the early afternoon when there was a massive explosion that ignited a powerful fire that enveloped nearly all of the Oluku market.

The fire consumed not a few, including human beings, vehicles, market stalls, goods and property worth several hundreds of millions of naira. That Thursday is now regarded as one of the black days in Benin City.

Trouble started when a tanker laden with petroleum product (Petrol) had a lone accident at about 7am and overturned directly opposite the market and spilled the fuel it was carrying.

This was not to be as many people saw it as an opportunity to ‘cash out’. They came with several different basins, buckets, jerry cans and other containers to scoop fuel which at that material time was flowing inside the gutter in front of the market.

Efforts by some sane people to discourage them from engaging in that business of death yielded unfruitful results, as those scooping the fuel saw it as an opportunity to make quick money.

Unfortunately, most of the people ‘fetching’ the fuel were taken the substance to keep inside their stores in the market. They were oblivious of the fact that they were indeed storing gun powder that was to engulf the market.

Investigation revealed that at about 11am, the owners of the fallen petrol tanker moved another truck to offload what was left in the accidented tanker.

At this point in time, no one knew what happened as there was suddenly a deafening sound accompanied by massive ball of fire that consumed everything in its way, including human beings, buildings, vehicles parked or moving through the vicinity at the time the fire erupted. The two petrol tankers were also not spared.

An eye witness told The Reliance that ‘it took several hours after the vehicle overturned, spilled its contents and fuel-scooping began, and thereafter there was a fire outbreak which spread into the market and caused maximum damage”.

The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Edo State Command, Beford Preye Ezekiel, said the command cannot give the exact casualties at the time of filing this report.

According to him, some of the fire victims have been transferred to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) for medical treatment.

At the Emergency Response Unit, the Management of the UBTH, had deployed immediate emergency services following the fuel tanker deadly fire.

Chief Medical Director of UBTH, Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu,
was seen personally coordinating the response team at the accident, emergency, and burns units to treat severe burnt and prevent loss of life.

Meanwhile, Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has promised to rebuild Oluku Market, which was destroyed by fire, and support traders who lost their shops and goods in the incident.

He gave the assurance on Friday after inspecting the damage at the market, located along the Benin-Lagos Road in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of the state.

The governor expressed sadness over the incident, saying the disaster could have been avoided. He assured the traders that his administration would not abandon them.

Governor Okpebholo urged residents to stay away from scenes of fire disasters involving petrol to prevent further casualties.

“We are sorry. We, as human beings, should also take precautions whenever something like this happens. Before the explosion, people were scooping fuel.

“But 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.

The governor also criticised the owner of the affected tanker for bringing another tanker to transfer the fuel without taking the necessary safety precautions.

“The owner of the affected tanker also brought another tanker to evacuate the fuel, which is very wrong. If this had not happened, there would not have been any fire incident.

“This is the result of it. We are sorry; it is not our making. We pray God keeps us alive,” he said.

Governor Okpebholo also visited the burns and plastic ward of the Accident and Emergency Department of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), where some victims were receiving treatment.

Earlier, the Oluku market’s secretary, Blessing Itoje, appealed to the governor and his entourage for assistance, saying the traders could not salvage any of their goods before the fire destroyed their shops and wares.

“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 the shock; some are on oxygen. Please, our father, some of us are servicing loans as I speak,” she said.