At least 60 people were killed and several others injured on Saturday in northern Nigeria after a petrol tanker overturned, spilling fuel that later ignited, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
The explosion occurred in Niger state, following a similar tragedy in Jigawa state last October, which claimed 147 lives, marking one of the deadliest accidents in Africa’s most populous nation.
Kumar Tsukwam, the FRSC’s sector commander for Niger state, reported that the victims were mainly local residents who had rushed to collect the spilled fuel after the tanker overturned. The fire spread to another tanker, further exacerbating the disaster. “So far, 60 bodies have been recovered from the site,” Tsukwam stated.