Fuel Tanker Explosion in Central Nigeria Kills 70
A tragic fuel tanker explosion on Saturday in central Nigeria claimed the lives of 70 people who had gathered to collect fuel after the tanker overturned.
The incident occurred at approximately 10 a.m. at Dikko Junction, along the highway connecting Abuja and Kaduna, according to Kumar Tsukwam, head of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Niger State. The truck was carrying 60,000 liters of gasoline when it crashed.
“Most of the victims were burnt beyond recognition,” Tsukwam stated, adding that rescue teams were working to clear the scene.
An FRSC statement revealed that a large crowd had gathered to scoop the spilled fuel when the tanker suddenly exploded, igniting another tanker nearby. “So far, 60 corpses have been recovered. Most of the victims were scavengers,” the statement said.
Rising fuel prices in Nigeria, following the removal of a government subsidy in 2023, have driven many to take desperate measures. Gasoline prices have increased fivefold over the past 18 months, leading to frequent accidents involving fuel tankers as people attempt to collect fuel.
Niger State Governor Umaru Bago described the incident as “worrisome, heartbreaking, and unfortunate” in a statement, confirming that an unspecified number of survivors sustained varying degrees of burns.
Similar tragedies are not uncommon in Nigeria. In October, more than 170 people died in a similar explosion in Jigawa State. Data from the FRSC in 2020 recorded 1,531 fuel tanker accidents, resulting in over 535 fatalities.
This latest incident underscores the dangers associated with fuel collection during accidents in Africa’s most populous nation.
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