A massive fire broke out at an illegal fuel depot in Seme Podji, a town in southern Benin near the border with Nigeria, on Saturday, killing at least 34 people, including two babies, and injuring 20 others, some of them critically.
The fire was caused by smuggled fuel that was stored in the depot, according to Interior Minister Alassane Seidou, who visited the scene of the tragedy. He said that the bodies of the victims were charred beyond recognition and that the authorities were working to identify them and provide assistance to their families.
The minister also said that the government would take measures to prevent such incidents from happening again and to crack down on the illegal trade of fuel across the border. He expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
Fuel smuggling is a common practice along the border between Benin and Nigeria, especially when there is a price difference between the two countries. Nigeria is a major oil and gas producer, but it often suffers from fuel shortages due to poor infrastructure and corruption. Benin, on the other hand, relies on imports for its fuel needs, but it faces high taxes and tariffs that make fuel expensive for consumers.
Many people resort to buying fuel from informal vendors who transport it in jerry cans or plastic containers by motorcycles or cars. The fuel is often adulterated or of low quality, posing a risk to both the environment and public safety.
The explosion at Seme Podji is one of the worst disasters involving smuggled fuel in the region. In 2019, a similar fire at an illegal depot in Togo killed at least 10 people and injured dozens more. In 2016, more than 100 people died in Nigeria when a tanker truck carrying petrol exploded as people were trying to siphon fuel from it.
