The death toll from a petrol tanker explosion in north-central Nigeria has risen to 86, the country’s emergency response agency said on Sunday.
The blast happened in the early hours of Saturday near the Suleja area of Niger state after individuals attempted to transfer petrol from a crashed oil tanker into another truck using a generator.
The fuel transfer sparked the explosion, resulting in the deaths of those transferring the petrol and bystanders.
“There were people that were burnt to ashes. How can we get that figure?” The official said, indicating that the death toll might be higher than 86. “We won’t know the exact figure without forensics.”
The blast claimed so many victims because a crowd had gathered at the scene, including people taking pictures, bystanders, and others attempting to scoop petrol, Isah said.
Petrol prices in Africa’s most populous country has soared after the administration of President Bola Tinubu removed subsidies on the product more than a year ago in an attempt to channel the resources to more developmental purposes. However, the policy has caused untoward hardship.
Scooping petrol from a fallen tanker is common in Nigeria as some people see that as an opportunity to get free product that they could either use or resell for a profit.
At least 70 people were killed and more 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 follows a similar blast in Jigawa state last October that killed 147 people, one of the worst such tragedies in Nigeria.
“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.
“The injured have been transported to hospitals for treatment, while recovery efforts for the deceased are ongoing.”
A witness said residents and officials were digging graves with a view to burying 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 of the victims were impoverished local residents who had rushed to scoop up the spilled petrol after the truck overturned.
“Large crowd of people gathered to scoop fuel despite concerted efforts to stop them,” Tsukwam said in a statement.
Tsukwam said firefighters had managed to put out the fire.
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 per cent since President Bola Tinubu scrapped a decades-old subsidy when he came into office in May 2023.
Bologi Ibrahim, spokesperson to Niger state governor, said residents should give priority to their safety when petrol tanker trucks are involved in accidents.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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