AT least 34 people were killed when a contraband fuel dump burst into flames in southern Benin near the border with Nigeria, a government official said on Saturday.
“A serious fire occurred in the town of Seme Podji,” Interior Minister Alassane Seidou told reporters. Seme Podji is a town bodering Nigeria.
“Unfortunately we have 34 deaths including two babies. Their bodies are charred because the cause of the fire is smuggled fuel.”
The minister said another 20 people were being treated in hospital, including some in a serious condition.
News Point Nigeria reports that, Nigeria is a major oil and gas producer and fuel smuggling is common along its borders, especially when the government maintained a subsidy to keep petrol prices low.
This tragic event highlights the dangers associated with fuel smuggling, a common practice along Nigeria’s border towns.
