At least 94 people have been killed and 50 more injured in northern Nigeria after a gasoline tanker overturned and sparked an explosion as dozens of people rushed to the vehicle to scoop up the fuel.
The blast took place on an expressway in Taura, Jigawa state and happened past midnight after the tanker’s driver lost control of the vehicle, police spokesperson Shiisu Lawan Adam said.
The tanker sparked a huge fire that burned until the early hours of Wednesday morning, according to Al Jazeera.
‘The residents were scooping up fuel from the overturned tanker when the explosion occurred, sparking a massive inferno that killed 94 people on the spot,’ Adam said.
The death toll is expected to rise.
94 people have been killed after a fuel tanker crashed and caught fire, causing an explosion
Video shows the aftermath of the explosion as fire spreads
Images and videos surfacing on X show the hellish blaze spreading across the entire, as people scream and runaway.
It comes after another fuel tanker exploded in Nigeria last month and killed 48 people after colliding head on with another truck.
Fatal truck accidents are common along Nigeria’s major roads. According to The Guardian, in 2020 alone, there were 1,531 gasoline tanker crashes, resulting in 535 fatalities and 1,142 injuries.
It is also common for people to salvage fuel after such accidents, especially with Nigeria’s soaring fuel prices.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.