At least 20 persons were reportedly burnt to death on Sunday morning, October 1, while scooping fuel from a fallen tanker on the failed Benin-Sapele road.
More than 20 cars was also reportedly burnt down after the tanker, which was laden with about 30,000 litres of fuel, exploded between Ologbo and Koko-Ugbenu roads in Edo and Delta States.
It was gathered that the tanker fell and spilled its contents on the road and some persons rushed to scoop fuel despite being warned by drivers and security men who had stormed the scene after they learnt of the accident.
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An eyewitness said: “We tried to prevent them but the youths threatened to beat us up telling us it’s their community. They came in their numbers carrying all sorts of containers; and when the explosion happened around 12:15 am this morning we all fled.
As I speak some d£ad bodies have been removed, I counted over 20 bodies.”