Fuel tanker truck explosion kills at least 70 in Nigeria

At least 70 people were killed and many injured in northern Nigeria on Saturday when a petrol tanker truck overturned, spilling fuel that exploded, the country's national emergency agency said.

The accident in Niger state comes after a similar blast in Jigawa state in October that killed 147 people, one of the worst such tragedies in Nigeria.

“More than 70 bodies have been recovered, 56 individuals are injured, and more than 15 shops have been destroyed,” the national emergency management authority said.

“The injured have been transported to hospitals for treatment and recovery efforts for the deceased are ongoing.”

A Reuters witness said residents and officials were digging graves with a view to bury the victims on Saturday night in accordance with Islamic rites. Niger is a largely Muslim state in Africa's most populous nation.

Earlier, Kumar Tsukwam, the federal road safety corps sector commander for Niger state, said most victims were poor local residents who had rushed to scoop up the spilt petrol after the truck overturned.

“Large crowds of people gathered to scoop fuel despite concerted efforts to stop them,” Tsukwam said.

He said firefighters extinguished the blaze.

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% since President Bola Tinubu scrapped a decades-old subsidy when he came into office in May 2023.

Bologi Ibrahim, spokesperson for Niger state governor, said residents should give priority to their safety when petrol tanker trucks are involved in accidents.

Reuters