Fire destroys many homes and a place of worship in Benin.

At the Owan community in the Ovia South West local government area, close to Benin in Edo, several homes, including a worship center, were completely destroyed by fire on Thursday evening.

According to eyewitnesses who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the event was started by a petroleum-filled truck that toppled and spilt its contents before bursting into flames and destroying homes, businesses, and even a church along the community’s Benin-Akure axis.

Mr. Mathew Fapohunda, an eyewitness, informed NAN over the phone that “the event happened on Thursday between 4pm and 5pm.

“A tanker traveling from Benin to Akure carrying petroleum products crashed and caught fire.

“As people fled for their lives, we were unable to check the contents of the vehicle.

“We were powerless, but we reached out to the Okomu oil palm company very away, and they sent a fire engine.

The fire was put out, but not before it entirely destroyed a number of nearby homes, businesses, and a church, destroying everything inside and costing millions of Naira.

However, Fapohunda, a prominent member of the Owan community, claimed there were no reported human casualties.

When reached, Mr. Henry Benamaisia, the FRSC sector commander in Edo, stated that the command has not yet received a briefing on the event. (NAN)