Some residents of Benin City, Edo State capital on Tuesday threw caution to the winds when they besieged the scene of a fallen diesel tanker to scoop its leaked content.
The incident occurred earlier on Tuesday at Ikpoba slope around a section of the road known for heavy vehicular traffic and challenging terrain for large trucks.
Eyewitnesses report that the tanker which was fully loaded with diesel, lost control and overturned while navigating the slope.
Within minutes of the accident, crowds of residents from nearly community stormed the scene with jerry cans, buckets, and various containers.
Despite the inherent danger, people were seen scooping the diesel directly from the road surface and drainage.
“I heard about it from my neighbour and rushed here with these containers,” said one female resident who declined to give her name. “Fuel is expensive these days, so this is a blessing for us.”
The scene has raised serious safety concerns among authorities, as the fumes from the content can ignite fire at a location with crowd of people.
