A fire at a smuggled petrol warehouse in Seme Krake, a Beninous town on the border with Nigeria yesterday left no fewer than 33 people dead, local authorities said.
Seme Krake is in Benin’s southeastern department of Oueme.
Chief of the local fire brigade, Dallys Ahouangbegnon said the fire, which broke out close to the pineapple market in the town, spread to houses and vehicles parked near the site.
Three injured individuals were evacuated for medical treatment.
Some of those who managed to escape to Banouto from the scene described the effect of the fire as catastrophic and the loss of lives and property as staggering.
Firefighters who rushed to the scene had a hectic time quelling the fire, they said.
Smuggled petrol from Nigeria continues to thrive despite the recent removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government; an action that drove up fuel price.
Thousands of litres of petrol sold on the streets of Benin’s towns and neighbourhoods generally come from stations located along the Benin-Nigeria border.
The trade, which generates huge profits, also entails major risks, given the precarious conditions in which the product is stored. As a result, fires occur frequently with heavy tolls.
