Goods, vehicles, houses and other valuables were burnt yesterday when
a fuel truck crashed at Aduwawa market on Benin-Auchi Road near Benin,
the Edo State capital and burst into flames.
Scores of traders, artisans, residents and property owners wept
profusely while bemoaning their fate. In the incident, which occurred
about 7:10a.m., at least six vehicles, five houses, several shops, among
others were burnt.
The accident occurred at a bad spot at the popular Upper Mission
extension Junction of the Aduwawa end of the dual carriage Benin-Auchi
Road now being reconstructed by the Ray Royal Construction (RCC) firm.
It was learnt that the driver of the truck was trying to make a U-turn
at the junction when it ran into a ditch which forced the front tyre to
pull out.
The tanker then fell in the middle of the road. Witnesses said after
the truck fell down, the petrol it was conveying poured on the road
while some people started scooping the product. Others, however,
scampered for safety.
One of the witnesses, who refused to give his name, said residents
and shop owners, especially occupants of the nearby buildings were
alerted about the accident and the imminent danger.
According to him, several people evacuated their property. He said:
“As the truck was making U-turn, its spring pulled off and the weight of
the product in the vehicle was on one side which made it to fall.
Immediately it fell down, the product started pouring on the road.
In the process, some people in the nearby buildings and shops were
alerted, although some of them were yet to open for business. But
suddenly, the truck burst into flames which took over the whole area.”
Some people were said to have sustained varying degrees of burns when
the truck exploded. When our correspondent visited the scene, there
were charred remains of six vehicles, including the truck, buildings and
generators belonging to a deaf and dumb ‘vulcanizer’ and a hairdresser.
Also, goods stored in the affected shops were burnt to ashes.
The accident also caused gridlock on the Benin-Auchi Road as
motorists plying the road were trapped for several hours. It attracted
sympathisers and emergency responders. Firefighters from the Edo State
Fire Service had a hectic time battling the inferno.
Security agencies were also on ground to maintain law and order as
well as rescue victims. The arrival of the security personnel helped to
bring the chaotic situation under control.
Two buildings housing sever-al lock-up stores housing paints shops,
food stores, restaurants, electronics shops among others were completely
burnt while three other residential houses were also affected.
An officer of the state fire service, Mr. Agbonlahor Franklin, said
his office got a distress call about 08:01a.m. that there was a fire. He
said: “You know that fuel is highly inflammable.
As soon as the truck fell, the product poured on the road and it
flowed into the buildings because it fell down on a slope. “The driver
of a vehicle ignored the warning signals from security men who were
flagging him down.
It was through that the fire started and there was explosion which
was very devastating. “But thank God, the men were here on time and were
able to put everything under control. “A lot of people sustained
various degrees of injury.
On the interim, there are about six vehicles, including the truck and
several lock-up shops that are burnt.” While speaking with journalists,
some of the victims called on the state government and other relevant
bodies to come to their aid.
One of them, Mrs. Felicia Ewonemen, who runs a restaurant, said she
and her children escaped death by a whisker. She said: “I was selling
this morning when the truck was trying to reverse.
Suddenly the truck fell down, fuel started gushing out and flowing
towards my shop. My children and I were running and shouting. “The fire
has destroyed my shop.
All the foodstuffs and everything that we had prepared for our
customers have been destroyed. This store is my life and only source of
livelihood.” Another victim, Mr. Imafidon Iyoma, who sells paints, said
goods worth over N2.5 million was destroyed by fire. Iyoma sought
government’s intervention to save him and other victims from their
agony. He said: “Someone called me to say my shop and those of others
were on fire.
I rushed down to see that all I have laboured for has been destroyed.
“Well, I don’t have much to say other than that the government should
investigate the owners of the truck.
But we know that the truck had the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) logo. For now, we are waiting to see what government
would do. “Apart from the goods, I also lost about N150,000 which I left
in the store.”
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