Edo Tanker Inferno Leaves 10 With Severe Burns as Fire Ravages Market

At least 10 people have suffered severe burns following a petrol tanker explosion at Oluku Market in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, with victims rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) for emergency treatment.

The incident occurred at about 1 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2026, after residents reportedly gathered to scoop petrol from a fallen tanker.

Eyewitness accounts indicated that the tanker had fallen earlier in the morning, spilling petrol into nearby drainage channels around the market. The situation reportedly escalated when a fire broke out and rapidly spread through the area.

The inferno engulfed market stalls and damaged vehicles, forcing traders, residents and other people nearby to flee for safety.

Although at least 10 burn victims were reportedly taken to UBTH, the exact number of fatalities had not been confirmed in the initial reports. Other media reports, however, indicated that some people died at the scene.

Emergency responders and personnel of the Edo State Fire Service were deployed to contain the blaze and manage the aftermath of the incident.

At UBTH, medical teams were mobilised to attend to the injured, with the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Professor Idia Ize-Iyamu, coordinating the emergency response across the accident and emergency and burns units.

The incident has once again drawn attention to the dangers of scooping petrol from fallen tankers, a practice that can turn fuel spills into devastating fires with deadly consequences.