AFP
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 08:48
In the West African country of Benin, 35 people were killed yesterday in an explosion at an illegal fuel storage facility. A child is also among the dead. At least ten victims are still in hospital with injuries.
The accident happened in Semi-Podji, in the southeast of the country, close to the border with Nigeria. From there, petrol is often smuggled to Benin. A fire allegedly broke out in the storage facility when gasoline was being transferred.
At the time of the explosion, cars, motorcycles and three-wheeler taxis were queuing to buy fuel, according to the AFP news agency.
Illegal fuel from Nigeria
Traditionally, a lot of fuel has been smuggled from Nigeria to neighboring country Benin. Until recently, Nigeria had subsidies on fuel, making it cheaper there. In Benin, much of this smuggled gasoline is traded on the black market.
Justice in Benin is investigating how the fire in the illegal storage could have started. Witnesses reportedly saw something go wrong when fuel was being unloaded.
2023-09-24 06:48:36
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