Over 90 people were killed and 50 others injured after a fuel tanker overturned and sparked an explosion in Jigawa state, Nigeria on Tuesday.
According to police spokesperson Lawan Adam, the accident occurred past midnight when the tanker driver lost control of the vehicle while travelling on a highway close to a university. He said:
At about 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday in Majia Town, Taura local government area of Jigawa, the tanker driver lost control near Khadija University and it exploded.
The driver left Kano and was heading to Nguru in Yobe when the accident happened.
We are worried that in spite of police warnings for people to steer clear from scenes of accidents involving fuel tankers, they still engage in such acts.
People gathered around the accident scene, which is the reason for the mass casualty.
As reported by africanews, deadly tanker accidents are common in Nigeria, where traffic regulations are not strictly enforced and there is a lack of efficient transportation infrastructure like railways to move cargo.
It is also common for people to rush to the scene of such accidents to salvage fuel, especially given Nigeria’s high fuel prices.
Residents rushed to the overturned tanker to scoop up fuel, which “sparked a massive inferno that killed 94 people on the spot,” according to the police spokesperson.
Videos from the scene showed a massive fire and what appeared to be bodies scattered across the area.
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