The death toll is likely to rise in the latest tanker explosion in Africa’s biggest economy due to rising fuel prices.
At least 60 people have been killed and more injured in a fuel tanker explosion in the Dikko area of Niger state in northern Nigeria, according to local authorities.
Kumar Tsukwam, the Niger State sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said on Saturday that people rushed to pick up the spilled petrol after the truck overturned. “The tanker burst into flames, engulfing another tanker,” he said in a statement.
“Most of the victims were burned beyond recognition,” Tsukwam said. “We are at the scene of the accident to clear things up,” he said, adding that firefighters were able to put out the fire.
Mohammed Bago, Niger’s governor, confirmed the incident in a statement and said many people were believed to have died in a massive fire caused by a tanker explosion.
He described the incident as “disturbing, heartbreaking and unfortunate.”
Tanker accidents are common
Such accidents have become commonplace in Africa’s biggest oil producer, killing dozens in a country struggling with its worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
The price of petrol in Nigeria has risen by more than 400 percent since President Bola Tinubu scrapped the decades-old subsidy when he took office in May 2023. As a result, many have risked their lives to recover fuel during tanker truck accidents.
In October 2024. more than 150 people were killed after an almost identical incident took place in Jigawa State which is also in Northern Nigeria.
About 100 other people were also injured in the incident, and more and more people approached the overturned tanker to collect fuel that they could then sell on the black market. Many of the victims were buried together in a mass funeral organized by the authorities.
In September of the same year, another 59 people died in Niger state after a fuel tanker collided with a truck carrying passengers and livestock.
Following the incident in October, Nigerian President Tinubu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to review and improve fuel transport safety protocols. He also said the police would step up measures to prevent more accidents, including increased patrols, stricter enforcement of safety regulations and other highway safety mechanisms.
The authorities were also engaged in the fight against oil theftimproving its security measures including the addition of gunboats on important waterways.
