The death toll from a tanker truck explosion in northern Nigeria has risen to at least 153, with another 100 people injured, police told Reuters. CNN this Thursday (17).
The explosion, which happened late in the evening local time on Tuesday (14) in Majiya, a village in Jigawa State, occurred after the vehicle crashed and while residents were trying to recover fuel.
“The driver lost control and the tanker somersaulted and spilled fuel into a drainage ditch,” said Jigawa police spokesperson Shiisu Lawan Adam.
“As a result, residents rushed to collect the fuel when the explosion occurred.”
A mass burial was held Wednesday afternoon for some of the victims, Adam said.
The death toll has risen steadily since news of the deadly explosion broke.
“People are feeling very sad,” said Umar Majia, a community member whose 12-year-old nephew was killed in the blast.
“This type of incident has never happened in the community. It’s the worst tragedy yet,” he told CNN .
Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima mourned the victims in a statement on Wednesday, saying: “My heart aches for those who have had their families torn apart by this disaster.
“This devastating incident has shaken us to our core. The Federal Government stands with the people of Jigawa. We are mobilizing all necessary resources to support the injured and assist families affected by this calamity.”
Shettima also announced “immediate federal government intervention and called for a comprehensive review of fuel transportation safety protocols.”
The explosion comes a month after at least 48 people were killed in a similar accident in the north-central state of Niger.
Fuel tanker explosions are not uncommon in Africa’s most populous country, where oil supplies are often shipped by road.
Previous fires have claimed several lives. In 2020, more than 500 people lost their lives in more than 1,500 tanker truck accidents recorded that year, according to Nigeria’s road safety agency.
Residents, beleaguered by the high cost of living in the West African nation – where gasoline is scarce and expensive – often face danger collecting fuel from downed tankers or damaged pipelines.
Gas prices have risen sharply to more than six times their normal rate since the government ended fuel subsidies last year.
Poverty remains rife in Nigeria despite its status as one of Africa’s largest oil producers.
This content was originally published in Number of deaths in tanker truck explosion in Nigeria rises to 153 on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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