Fuel tanker collides with truck resulting in explosion killing over 48
(MENAFN) On Sunday, a devastating accident occurred in Nigeria when a fuel tanker collided head-on with another truck, resulting in a catastrophic explosion that killed at least 48 people, according to the country’s emergency response agency. The collision happened in the Agaie area of north-central Niger state. The fuel tanker was also transporting cattle, and at least 50 of these animals were burned alive in the explosion, as reported by Abdullahi Baba-Arab, the director-general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency.
Initial reports indicated that 30 bodies were recovered from the scene, but later updates revealed that an additional 18 victims, who had perished in the blaze, were found. Baba-Arab confirmed that the deceased had been given a mass burial. Ongoing search and rescue operations are being conducted at the site of the accident to locate and assist any survivors.
In response to the tragedy, Niger state Governor Mohammed Bago urged residents to remain calm and advised road users to exercise caution and adhere to traffic regulations to help prevent such incidents in the future. The lack of an efficient railway system for transporting cargo has contributed to the high frequency of fatal truck accidents in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. According to the Federal Road Safety Corps, there were 1,531 gasoline tanker crashes in Nigeria in 2020 alone, resulting in 535 fatalities and 1,142 injuries.
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