A fuel tanker overturned and exploded in central Nigeria on Saturday, killing 70 people as they tried to steal fuel whose prices have soared during the economic crisis.
“The death toll so far stands at 70,” said Kumar Tukwamu, head of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Niger state.
According to Tsukwamu, the truck carrying 60,000 liters of gasoline crashed at around 10 a.m. (9 p.m. Japan time) at the Dikko intersection on the road connecting the federal capital Abuja with the northern city of Kaduna.
“Most of the victims were burned beyond recognition,” Tukwamu said. “We are on scene to resolve the situation.”
An FSRC statement said that when “a large group of people gathered to scoop up fuel,” “suddenly the tanker burst into flames, engulfing another tanker.”
“So far, 60 bodies have been recovered from the scene, but most of the victims were cleaners,” the newspaper said.
Shortly after his election last year, President Bola Tinubu abolished fuel subsidies, sending prices of essential goods and other goods soaring and sparking protests.
Gasoline prices have increased fivefold in 18 months, and many people risk their lives to recover fuel during tanker truck accidents, which are common in Africa's most populous country.
Niger State Governor Umaru Bago said in a statement that the explosion was “an alarming, heartbreaking and unfortunate event.”
He said an undisclosed number of people also experienced varying degrees of burns.
In October, a similar incident in Jigawa state in northern Nigeria left more than 170 people dead.
In 2020, the FRSC listed 1,531 fuel tanker accidents that claimed more than 535 lives.
