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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
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Fuel tanker explosion kills 147 people in Nigeria
By Nimi Princewill, CNN
Updated:
3:36 PM EDT, Wed October 16, 2024
Source: CNN
A fuel tanker explosion in northern Nigeria has killed 147 people and
injured 70, according to emergency services and the police.
The blast, which happened late evening local time on Tuesday in Majiya,
a village in Jigawa state, occurred after the vehicle crashed and while
locals were attempting to retrieve the fuel.
“The driver lost control and the tanker somersaulted and spilled
fuel into a drainage ditch,” Jigawa police spokesperson Shiisu Lawan
Adam said.
“As a result, residents rushed to scoop the fuel when the explosion
happened.”
A mass burial was held on Wednesday afternoon for the victims, Adam
added.
The death toll has been rising steadily since news of the deadly
explosion broke, with 147 people confirmed dead by Wednesday evening
local time, according to a statement from Nigeria’s National
Emergency Management Agency.
Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima mourned the victims in a
statement Wednesday, saying: “My heart aches for those who have had
their families torn apart by this disaster.
“This devastating incident has shaken us all to our core. The Federal
Government stands with the people of Jigawa. We are mobilising all
necessary resources to support the injured and assist the families
affected by this calamity.”
Shettima also announced “immediate federal government intervention
and called for a comprehensive review of fuel transportation safety
protocols.”
The blast comes a month after in a similar accident in the
north-central Niger state.
Fuel tanker explosions are not unusual in Africa’s most populous
country, where oil supplies are frequently dispatched by road.
Previous fires have led to multiple casualties. In 2020, in more than
1,500 fuel tanker accidents recorded that year, according to
Nigeria’s road safety agency.
Residents, beleaguered by soaring living costs in the West African
nation - where gasoline is scarce and expensive - often brave danger to
scoop fuel from fallen tankers or damaged oil pipelines.
Gas prices have risen dramatically to more than six times their usual
rate since the government ended fuel subsidies last year.
Poverty remains rife in Nigeria despite its status as one of
Africa’s largest oil producers.
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