At Least 94 Dead and 50 Injured in Nigeria Fuel Incident
More than 140 people were killed and dozens were injured in Nigeria after an overturned gasoline tanker truck exploded in flames while bystanders were trying to scoop up fuel pouring from the vehicle, emergency services said Wednesday.
Late Tuesday, the driver lost control of the tanker and it tipped over on a road crossing the village of Majiya in Jigawa state, police said. As locals rushed to the truck to retrieve the fuel, the tank exploded, injuring and killing scores, said Mohamed Abdulai, assistant to the Jigawa police spokesperson.
Police expect the toll to rise since many of the injuries were severe, according to Jigawa police spokesperson Shiisu Lawan Adam.
As of early Wednesday, the fire was brought under control. Those who were injured were taken to the Federal Medical Centre Nguru and one other facility, Abdulai said.
Fuel tanker explosions are common in Nigeria, a country heavily dependent on roads for cargo transportation while conditions are frequently unsafe. According to the Associated Press, in 2020, Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps recorded 1,531 gasoline tanker crashes resulting in 535 deaths and 1,142 injuries.
Last month, at least 48 people were killed in Niger state in central Nigeria when a fuel tanker collided with a truck, causing an explosion.
