Fatal Fires Ravage Benin, Claiming Dozens of Lives

At least 35 people, including a child, were killed and more than a dozen others were seriously injured after a fuel depot caught fire in Benin's Seme-Podji town near the border with Nigeria. The blaze, which engulfed an illegal warehouse for smuggled fuel, is believed to have started during the unloading of gasoline bags. Fuel smuggling is common in the area, and the cause of the fire is suspected to be smuggled fuel. An investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the incident.