At least 70 people were killed and more injured in a fuel tanker explosion in Niger State in northern Nigeria, the country’s national emergency agency said.
The blast happened in the early hours of Saturday near the Suleja area after individuals attempted to transfer gasoline from one tanker into another truck using a generator.
“As of this report, over 70 bodies have been recovered, 56 individuals are injured, and more than 15 shops have been destroyed,” the National Emergency Management Authority said in a statement on Saturday.
Kumar Tsukwam, a sector commander for Niger State with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said that people rushed to scoop up the spilled petrol after the truck overturned. “The tanker burst into flames, engulfing another tanker,” he said in a statement.
“Most of the victims were burnt beyond recognition,” Tsukwam said. “We are at the scene to clear things up,” he said, adding that firefighters had managed to put out the fire.
Mohammed Bago, the Niger governor, confirmed the incident in a statement and said that many people are believed to have perished in a huge fire caused by the tanker explosion.
He described the incident as “worrisome, heartbreaking, and unfortunate”.
Tanker accidents common
Such accidents have become common in Africa’s largest oil producer, killing dozens of people in the country grappling with its worst cost of living crisis in a generation.
The price of petrol in Nigeria has soared more than 400 percent since President Bola Tinubu scrapped a decades-old subsidy when he came into office in May 2023. This has led many to risk their lives to recover fuel during tanker truck accidents.
In October 2024, more than 150 people were killed after a nearly identical incident took place in the Jigawa State also located in northern Nigeria.
About 100 other people were also injured in that incident, with a growing crowd approaching an overturned tanker to pick up fuel that they could then sell in the black market. Many of the victims were buried together in a large funeral organised by the authorities.
In September of the same year, another 59 people were killed in Niger State after a fuel tanker collided with a truck carrying passengers and cattle.
After the October incident, Nigerian President Tinubu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reviewing and enhancing fuel transportation safety protocols. He also said police would strengthen measures to prevent further accidents, including increased patrols, stricter enforcement of safety regulations, and other highway safety mechanisms.
Authorities have also been engaged in an effort to fight the theft of oil, having improved their security measures including adding gunboats on important waterways.
Source: aljazeera.com
