Tragedy struck in Benin, capital of Edo State on Wednesday morning when a tanker laden with fuel exploded at Upper Mission junction on the Benin-Auchi expressway, in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.
Eyewitnesses in the area said the tragic incident happened at about 7:00am.
According to our correspondent who visited the scene, one person was feared dead while four people had different degree of injuries.
Properties worth millions of Naira were also destroyed as a result of the fire that occurred after the explosion.
One news outlet claimed 12 shops, 5 vehicles parked along the road were burnt down completely in the raging inferno which lasted for about 1 hours.
Some personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps were also on ground trying to ease the heavy gridlock occasioned by the fallen tanker which barricaded a section of the road.
According to some eyewitnesses, the tanker driver had attempted to make a u-turn, due to the diversion of the road which was under reconstruction, when the articulated vehicle fell and spilled its content.
But he was said to have fled the scene almost immediately.
It was gathered that spillage attracted some residents in the area, who rushed to the scene to scoop fuel into jerrycans.
Tragedy was, however, said to have struck when the tanker suddenly exploded at about 30 minutes later, due to an ignition from the exhaust pipe of an Audi car.
One of the eyewitnesses, Mrs. Deborah Afudeli, who lost several goods to the incident, explained that the fire spread too rapidly and destroyed valuable goods before it was extinguished.
See photos from the Scene of the explosion below:
