The petrol tanker reportedly overturned while attempting to make a U-turn near Oluku Market, spilling its contents onto the road and into nearby drainage channels.
According to eyewitnesses, residents and passers-by rushed to the scene shortly after the incident and began scooping fuel from the spillage.
One witness said some people had already started collecting the fuel before security operatives arrived and cordoned off the area.
The witness further disclosed that the truck owner later brought another tanker to evacuate the remaining fuel from the fallen vehicle. However, an explosion occurred, leaving several victims severely burnt, some reportedly beyond recognition.
Ten injured victims were subsequently rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) for medical treatment, while the bodies of those who died were deposited at the hospital’s mortuary.
The exact number of fatalities had yet to be confirmed at the time of reporting.
