Residents in Nigeria’s Delta State gathered along the Sapele-Warri Road on Tuesday to collect fuel from an overturned tanker, despite the significant fire and explosion risks associated with spilled petroleum products.
Key takeaways
- People used buckets, jerrycans and other containers to remove liquid from the crashed vehicle.
- Footage of the incident spread widely across social media platforms.
- Nigerians responding online warned that fuel scavenging can quickly turn deadly.
- Similar incidents have previously led to fatal explosions.
- No blast had been recorded at the tanker crash site when the report was filed.
Fuel collection sparks safety concerns
Video from the scene showed local residents surrounding the fallen tanker and drawing fuel into kegs, gallons and buckets. The activity continued even though fuel leaks can be ignited by sparks, vehicle engines, open flames or other nearby sources of heat.
The incident prompted widespread criticism and warnings from members of the public, who highlighted the potentially catastrophic consequences of gathering around a damaged fuel tanker. Nigeria has experienced deadly explosions in earlier cases involving people attempting to retrieve fuel from crashed or leaking vehicles.
No explosion reported
Despite the large number of people seen near the tanker on the Sapele-Warri Road, there had been no reported explosion or fire as of the time the incident was recorded.
