A fuel tanker explosion killed at least 147 people, including children, in Nigeria, in one of the worst accidents in Africa’s most populous nation, reported Reuters.
People in Nigeria’s northern state of Jigawa were rushing to scoop up fuel from an overturned gasoline tanker truck late on Tuesday midnight when the spilled petrol exploded, killing more than 140 people and injuring 50 others.
The accident comes at a time when Nigeria is facing widespread security threats and a cost of living crisis. Many of the country’s roads lack maintenance and are in a very bad condition. This leads to many accidents that cause dozens of deaths every year.
Local police spokesperson, Lawan Adam, said that the recent accident happened at midnight when the truck’s driver lost control on a highway near Majia town, causing the truck to overturn and spill fuel.
As a result, residents rushed to the scene and tried to scoop up petrol with cups and buckets, causing a fire that spread all over the area.
Adam said that officers tried to prevent people from approaching the overturned tanker but they could not contain the huge crowd. “We tried our best to stop people going to the vehicle to get petrol but despite cordoning [off] the area, we were overpowered and as people were scooping fuel, fire erupted,” he told BBC.
Tanker accidents are common in Nigeria, due to the lack of an efficient railway system to transport cargo and the high prices of fuel.
In September, a fuel tanker collided with another truck carrying travellers and cattle in north-central Nigeria, causing an explosion that claimed the lives of 48 people.
