25 Injured In Auchi Tanker Fire

No fewer than 25 persons sustained varying degrees of injuries following a tanker fire incident along the Auchi–Jattu Road in Auchi, Edo State.

Following the incident, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, activated the agency’s Benin Operations Office to coordinate emergency response efforts.

The agency made this known on Thursday via its official X (formerly Twitter) page.

According to NEMA, the incident occurred at about 8:00 pm on Tuesday, December 17, 2025, when a tanker reportedly lost control and fell, leading to the spillage of its contents into an underground drainage system.

The spillage subsequently triggered multiple explosions at different points along the drainage channel, causing panic among residents in the affected area.

“Following a distress call received from the Edo State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the NEMA Benin Operations Office was immediately activated to coordinate response efforts,” the agency stated.

NEMA disclosed that its Benin office has been working in collaboration with Edo SEMA, the Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC), the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), and military authorities in Auchi to manage the situation and provide emergency assistance.

Preliminary reports indicate that no fatalities were recorded as at the time of this report. However, 25 persons sustained varying degrees of injuries and were evacuated to medical facilities within Auchi and surrounding areas for treatment.

“At the Teaching Hospital, three male victims were admitted, including two with lacerations and one with a third-degree burn,” NEMA said. It added that at Amazing Grace Clinic, Water Board, 12 victims, 10 males and two females, were treated for injuries including first- to third-degree burns, shock, and lacerations.

The agency further noted that four male victims with lacerations were treated, stitched, and discharged at Unique Medical Centre on Obe Street, while two victims, a father and daughter, were admitted at City Hospital on Warrake Road with deep cuts, lacerations, and minor burns.

“At Winners Hospital, Olele Junction, four male victims were treated, including one with a third-degree burn, one with head injury and bleeding from the nostrils, and two others with minor bruises,” the statement added.

NEMA assured that it is continuing to monitor the situation closely in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to ensure effective coordination, adequate medical care for the injured, and a timely response to any emerging needs.

“Further updates will be provided as the situation unfolds,” the agency said.