At Owan Community in Ovia South West Local Government Area, close to Benin in Edo State, several homes, including a worship center, were completely destroyed by fire on Thursday evening.
Witnesses claimed to the News Agency of Nigeria that a tanker carrying petroleum was to blame for the incident. The tanker fell, spilled its cargo, and then caught fire, destroying homes, businesses, and even a church along the community’s Benin-Akure axis.
Mr. Mathew Fapohunda, an eyewitness, informed NAN over the phone that “the event happened on Thursday between 4pm and 5pm.
“A tanker carrying petroleum product from Benin heading towards Akure fell into a gutter and burst into flames.
“We didn’t have the opportunity to verify the content of the truck as people ran for their lives.
We were helpless but we quickly contacted a nearby company, Okomu Oil, that sent their fire fighter truck.
“Though they put out the fire but not before several houses, shops and a church along the road had been completely razed by the fire, consuming everything inside them worth millions of naira,” he said.
Fapohunda, who is one of the community leader in Owan, however, said no human casualty was recorded in the incident.
When contacted, the FRSC sector commander in Edo, Mr Henry Benamaisia, said the command is yet to be briefed on the incident.