34 dead in a fire at an illegal fuel depot in Benin Republic

At least 34 people died today in a fire that broke out at a smuggled fuel depot in southern Benin near the border with Nigeria, Interior Minister Alasan Sheidu said.

“This morning there was a serious fire in the town of Seme Ponji. Unfortunately, we have recorded 34 deaths, including two babies,” he told reporters, explaining that “the cause of the fire was fuel smuggling.”

Al menos 34 muertos en un incendio de depósito de combustibles ilegal en Benínhttps://t.co/X5687HYdYZ pic.twitter.com/gnWM36lfbZ

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Twenty people were also injured, some seriously, and taken to hospital, he explained.

Nigeria is one of the world’s largest oil and gas producers and fuel smuggling is common along its borders, especially when the government provided subsidies to keep prices low.