Onlookers came to scene in Majia Jigawa state on Wednesday as the work of the emergency services continued
Lagos, October 16 (Reuters) – A fuel tanker overturned late overnight in Nigeria’s northern state of Jigawa after the driver lost control of the vehicle, spilling petrol which exploded and killed at least 147 people who rushed to the scene of the accident to collect leaking petrol, police and state emergency services said on Wednesday.
The accident is one of the worst in recent times in Africa’s most populous nation, which is battling with widespread security threats and a cost of living crisis.
About 100 other people injured in the explosion have been taken to hospital in the nearby town of Ringim in Jigawa state, many of them are in a critical condition.
Officers had warned people not to approach the tanker after the accident late on Tuesday night, but they were unable to contain the growing crowd, said police spokesman Lawal Shiisu Adam.
“We tried our best to stop people going to the vehicle to get petrol but despite cordoning [off] the area, we were overpowered and as people were scooping fuel, fire erupted,” he told Journalists.
“The fuel tanker was coming from Kano and heading to Nguru in Yobe state when the driver lost control of the vehicle.”
The driver, who was not injured, has been taken into custody while the police conduct an investigation.
“Fire service and other emergency units rushed to the scene to help after the incident,” Mr Adam said.
Many of the victims have been burnt beyond recognition. The recovered bodies have been covered by tree branches to shield them from onlookers.
Rescue workers have been finding more bodies – some a considerable distance from the scene of the accident. They had presumably been trying to get help before succumbing to their injuries, a police spokesman said.
Most of those who died have been buried in a mass ceremony.
Fuel tanker explosions and accidents are common in Nigeria – often caused by the poor state of roads and badly maintained vehicles.
As the clear-up operation was under way in Jigawa, there was another fuel tanker accident in south-western Ogun state in the town of Ibafo.
This fuel tanker overturned on a major road in south-western Nigeria on Wednesday morning
It overturned on Wednesday morning on a main road in front of a commercial bank, spilling petrol before bursting into flames.
The fire ravaged the area damaging other lorries. No-one was injured in the incident, but it is estimated to have caused thousands of dollars’ worth of damage.
