Another tanker explosion was on Thursday averted as several youths trooped out to scoop fuel from a fallen tanker in Irrua, Esan West, Edo State. Similar incidents had resulted in fire outbreak which claimed the lives of the scavengers.

A viral video showed that a concerned citizen at the busy Benin-Abuja highway managed to discourage some of the youths from approaching the tanker, warning of the potential danger. The accident occurred in an area with dense vegetation, which could have led to a major fire outbreak.

Recall that in recent times, fuel tanker explosions had claimed about 300 lives in different parts of the country. In Niger State, no fewer than 86 people were killed January 18, 2025, and scores injured; on October 17, 2024, over 150 persons were killed in a similar incident in Jigawa State with many injured and others unaccounted for, while in Agbor, Delta State, about five persons died on January 5, 2025, when a tanker exploded after losing control.

Despite the warnings, some individuals still risked their lives to scoop the fuel. There was no security presence at the scene to prevent the crowd from helping themselves to the spilled fuel from the tanker.

Efforts to reach the Public Relations Officer of the Edo State Police Command, Moses Yamu, for comments were unsuccessful.

Concerned Nigerians expressed the need for more public awareness on the dangers of scooping fuel from fallen tankers because of its inflammable nature.