Johannesburg — More than 90 people were killed and 50 others injured Tuesday evening when a tanker truck crashed and exploded in Nigeria, local officials said. A police spokesperson said the driver lost control of the vehicle in the town of Majiya, near the northern city of Kano.
A mass funeral was to take place Wednesday morning for the victims of the accident. The injured were treated at Ringim General Hospital, not far from the accident site.
Eyewitnesses said the number of casualties was so high because, as often happens at the scene of accidents involving fuel trucks, residents arrived quickly in the hope of recovering some of the spilled fuel.
“Residents were collecting fuel from the overturned tanker when the explosion occurred, triggering a huge blaze that killed 94 people instantly,” police spokesperson Lawan Adam said. , to the Associated Press.
Last month, 48 people were killed when a fuel accident a tanker collided with a truck loaded with people and livestock. People and livestock were burned alive in the disaster.
Truck accidents are common in Nigeria, often blamed on the poor state of the country’s roads.
The World Health Organization, in a 2018 report, estimated the number of road accident deaths in the country at around 40,000 per year.
Nigerians are facing a cost of living crisis since a national fuel subsidy was removed in May 2023, causing prices to soar. In 2022, around 40% of the country’s revenue was spent on fuel subsidies for residents.
Economists said Nigeria is suffering its worst economic crisis in a generation, with the second sharp increase in fuel prices in a month beginning last week.
President Bola Timbu was elected last year on promises to boost the economy and attract foreign investment.