A fiery collision involving a natural gas truck resulted in the deaths of at least ten individuals on a Nigerian highway Wednesday.
The devastating incident occurred near Nyanya, just outside the capital city of Abuja, according to an AFP journalist present at the scene.
A powerful explosion tore through the wreckage following the initial pile-up.
Rescue efforts are currently underway but face significant challenges due to the extensive traffic congestion.
The highway has been completely shut down in both directions, hindering the movement of emergency responders.
Nonso Ezekiel, the spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency, confirmed the difficulties to AFP.
The collision marks the latest in a series of deadly incidents involving fuel-carrying vehicles in Nigeria.
Authorities have recently implemented reforms concerning liquid petroleum transport following numerous tanker accidents.
While Ezekiel could not provide an official death toll initially, conflicting reports from other responding agencies cited figures of five or six fatalities.
According to Ezekiel, the truck transporting compressed natural gas (CNG) “lost control and ran into many cars.”
The subsequent explosion of the truck’s tank ignited a widespread fire, engulfing multiple vehicles on the busy roadway.
Road accidents are a frequent occurrence in Nigeria, often exacerbated by factors like infrastructure deficits and driver training issues.
The increasing use of compressed natural gas in Nigeria comes amidst a cost-of-living crisis triggered by the removal of government petrol subsidies.
In response to previous deadly petrol tanker crashes, a ban on tankers carrying large volumes of fuel took effect earlier this month.
However, analysts have pointed out that deeper systemic issues need to be addressed to prevent such tragedies.