This week, Uganda was rocked by yet another tragic incident involving the siphoning of fuel from an overturned vehicle. The result? Loss of life and injury, both completely preventable. As a medical professional, I feel compelled to address this dangerous and often overlooked practice that continues to put communities at risk.

For years, I have witnessed the consequences of people rushing to accident scenes involving fuel tankers in search of free fuel. The lure of free fuel may seem irresistible, but the dangers are far greater than most people realize. Inhaling gasoline or diesel fumes poses an immediate health risk.

These fumes contain harmful chemicals such as benzene, which can cause dizziness, difficulty breathing, headaches and, in more severe cases, loss of consciousness or permanent lung damage. Prolonged exposure to fuel vapors significantly increases the risk of respiratory problems, including asthma and chronic bronchitis.

In most cases, people use their mouths to start siphoning the fuel, which creates a serious ingestion risk. Even small amounts of gasoline swallowed can cause nausea, vomiting, and gastrointestinal burning.

Worse, ingesting fuel can cause chemical pneumonia if aspirated into the lungs, which can be life-threatening without immediate medical treatment. Fuel is corrosive and can cause severe chemical burns on skin contact. Many people who collect fuel from accident sites do so without protective equipment, exposing themselves to potential long-term skin damage, including blistering, scarring and infection. Perhaps the most well-known risk is the danger of explosions.

Fuel is highly flammable, and at the scene of an accident, conditions are often unstable. A single spark – from a cigarette, mobile phone or even static electricity – can ignite spilled fuel, leading to devastating fires and explosions. The dangers don’t end at the immediate health risks. The environmental toll of fuel spills is significant. When the fuel seeps into the ground, it contaminates water supplies, posing a long-term public health risk to surrounding communities. Contaminated water can lead to widespread disease, including gastrointestinal infections and neurological damage in children.

This, in turn, puts additional pressure on already stretched health systems in rural areas. Despite these obvious dangers, fuel siphoning continues to be a common practice. The root of the problem is often a combination of economic desperation and a lack of awareness of the real risks involved.

Many people are unaware that what appears to be a quick opportunity for free fuel can have irreversible health and safety consequences. As a medical professional, I strongly believe that this is where we need to start – through public education. It is critical that communities understand that being near a fuel spill is never safe. Public safety campaigns, led by local governments, health organizations and media outlets, must make it clear how dangerous fuel siphoning is.

Authorities must act quickly to secure crash sites and prevent crowds from gathering. Emergency services must be adequately trained to handle fuel-related accidents, not only in terms of casualty treatment, but also in crowd control and hazard management. Addressing the underlying economic factors is equally important. Many people risk their lives siphoning fuel because they do not have access to affordable resources.

Creating safer and legal means of accessing fuel or providing economical alternatives could discourage people from taking such life-threatening risks. We must do better by educating our communities, enforcing the laws and ensuring our emergency services are prepared to prevent future loss of life. No one should die or suffer lifelong health consequences for something as preventable as siphoning fuel from an accident site.

It is up to all of us – medical professionals, governments and ordinary citizens – to raise awareness and take action to protect our communities from such tragedies in the future.

The author, Christine Namiiro is a clinical medical officer, health advocate and emergency medical services specialist.
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