In the town of Seme-Podji, close to the Republic of Benin’s border with Nigeria, a fire explosion at an illicit fuel store claimed the lives of no less than 35 individuals.
Two babies were among the explosion’s casualties, according to the Benin authorities.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident happened on Saturday, September 23, 2023, when the warehouse used to store illicit fuel caught fire and erupted in flames.
A nearby resident was mentioned by Al Jazeera as saying that the affected facility used to be frequented by vehicles, motorcycles, and tricycle taxis to refuel.
“I am still in shock. We heard people screaming for help. But the intensity of the flames was too much for people to try to approach,” said Innocent Sidokpohou, a local carpenter.
“I got gas for my motorbike to go do my shopping. I left and barely five meters away I heard an explosion. When I turned around it was all black smoke,” he added.
Alassane Seidou, the interior minister for Benin, confirmed the occurrence on Saturday but would not elaborate on how it had occurred.
Two of the victims, according to the minister, were infants, while 20 others were being treated for blast-related injuries in hospitals, some of whom were in critical condition.
Seidou reportedly attributed the fire’s origin to “smuggled fuel,” noting that the flames left the victims’ bodies “badly charred.”
Prosecutor Abdoubaki Adam-Bongle, for his part, stated in a statement that the fire destroyed the business and, according to an initial assessment, led to 35 fatalities, including one child.
The fire was presumably sparked during the unloading of gasoline bag, according to the witnesses questioned.
Due to the low-cost, subsided petroleum products that leave the Nigerian end, the Nigeria-Benin border is infamous for gasoline smuggling activities.
The Nigerian authorities are battling to stop the offenders as illegal refineries, gasoline dumps, and pipelines line the border towns.