At least 48 killed as fuel tanker hits truck, causing explosion in Nigeria

Truck carrying radical and cattle crashes head-on with tanker successful Agaie country successful the north-central Niger state.

A substance tanker has collided with different motortruck successful Nigeria, causing an detonation that killed astatine slightest 48 people, according to the country’s exigency effect agency.

The substance tanker was besides carrying cattle successful the Agaie country successful north-central Niger authorities and astatine slightest 50 of them were burned alive, Abdullahi Baba-Arab, director-general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, said connected Sunday.

Search-and-rescue operations were nether mode astatine the country of the accident, helium said.

Baba-Arab said initially that 30 bodies were found. But successful a aboriginal statement, helium said determination were an further 18 bodies of victims who were burned to decease successful the collision. He said the dormant had been fixed a wide burial.

It was initially unclear however galore others were injured.

Mohammed Bago, politician of Niger state, said residents of the affected country should stay calm and asked roadworthy users to “always beryllium cautious and abide by roadworthy postulation regulations to safeguard lives and property”.

With the lack of an businesslike railway strategy to transport cargo, fatal motortruck accidents are communal on astir of the large roads successful Nigeria – Africa’s astir populous country, with much than 220 cardinal residents.

According to experts, the main causes are reckless driving, mediocre road conditions and poorly maintained vehicles.

In 2020 alone, determination were 1,531 petrol tanker crashes resulting successful 535 fatalities and 1,142 injuries, according to Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd past week hiked the terms of petrol by astatine slightest 39 percent, the 2nd large summation successful much than a year. But shortages person continued, forcing motorists to queue for hours successful the country’s large cities and towns.