The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, has activated the Agency’s Benin Operations Office to coordinate emergency response efforts following a tanker fire incident along the Auchi–Jattu Road in Auchi, Edo State.
The incident occurred at about 8:00 p.m. on December 17, 2025, when a fuel 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 from the Edo State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the NEMA Benin Operations Office was immediately mobilised to lead coordination efforts in collaboration with Edo SEMA, the Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC), the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), and military authorities in Auchi.
Preliminary reports indicated that no fatalities were recorded as at the time of filing this report. However, 25 persons sustained varying degrees of injuries and were promptly evacuated to medical facilities within Auchi and its environs for treatment.
At the Teaching Hospital, three male victims were admitted, including two with lacerations and one with a third-degree burn. At Amazing Grace Clinic, Water Board, 12 victims—10 males and two females—were treated for injuries ranging from first- to third-degree burns, shock, and lacerations.
Four male victims with lacerations were treated, stitched, and discharged at the Unique Medical Centre on Obe Street, while City Hospital along Warrake Road admitted two victims—a father and daughter—with deep cuts, lacerations, and minor burns. At Winners Hospital, Olele Junction, four male victims were treated for injuries including a third-degree burn, head injury with bleeding, and minor bruises.
NEMA said it continues to monitor the situation closely in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to ensure effective coordination, proper medical care for the injured, and a timely response to any emerging needs.
The Agency assured that further updates would be communicated as the situation develops.
About The Author
