Oil tanker explosions in Nigeria claim around 1,900 lives since 2009
Date
1/22/2025 2:42:47 AM
(MENAFN) The recent explosion of an oil tanker in Nigeria, which killed nearly 98 people, has brought attention to the growing number of fatalities from similar incidents since 2009. According to an analysis by Anadolu on Tuesday, these accidents have claimed around 1,896 lives over the past 16 years.
The latest disaster took place on Saturday in Niger state, located in the north-central region of Nigeria. Before October 2024, 2019 had recorded the highest number of oil tanker accidents and fatalities, as reported in a study published by the Nigerian Research Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences. However, a devastating explosion in Majia, a town in the Taura Local Government Area, on October 15, 2024, took 181 lives. This incident made 2024 the deadliest year, with a total of 266 fatalities.
From January 2009 to January 2025, Nigeria experienced 172 oil tanker fires and explosions, resulting in 1,896 deaths. The study pointed to several factors contributing to these tragedies, including people attempting to collect spilled fuel, tanker accidents in crowded areas, vehicle collisions, and human error. Over 100 incidents were linked to human-related causes.
In 2000, the Nigerian government introduced a fuel subsidy to lower fuel costs by offering financial support to oil companies. However, after President Bola Tinubu took office in May 2023, he ended this long-standing subsidy policy, arguing that it primarily benefited the wealthy, neglecting the needs of the poor.
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