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The death toll is likely to rise in the latest tanker explosion in Africa's biggest economy amid rising fuel prices.
At least 60 people have been killed and more injured in a fuel tanker explosion in the Diko area of Niger state in northern Nigeria, according to local authorities.
Kumar Tsukwam, Niger State sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said on Saturday that people rushed to collect 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 on the scene to clarify things,” he said, adding that firefighters were able to extinguish the fire.
Mohamed 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 the tanker explosion.
He described the incident as “disturbing, heartbreaking and unfortunate”.
Common Tanker Accidents
Such accidents have become common in Africa's biggest oil producer, killing scores of people in a country struggling with its worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
The price of petrol in Nigeria has jumped more than 400 percent since President Bola Tinubu scrapped a decade-old subsidy when he took office in May 2023. This has led many to risk their lives to recover fuel during tanker incidents.
In October 2024 over 150 people were killed after an almost identical incident occurred in Jigawa State, also located in northern Nigeria.
About 100 other people were also injured in that incident, as a growing crowd approached an overturned tanker to collect fuel to then sell on the black market. Many of the victims were buried together in a large funeral organized by the authorities.
In September of that year, another 59 people were killed in Niger state after a fuel tanker collided with a truck carrying passengers and livestock.
After the incident in October, Nigerian President Tinubu reiterated the government's commitment to review and improve fuel transport safety protocols. He also said the police would step up measures to prevent new incidents, including increased patrols, stricter enforcement of safety rules and other highway safety mechanisms.
The authorities were too involved in the fight against oil thefthaving improved their security measures, including the addition of gunboats on important waterways.
