At least 70 people killed in Nigerian fuel tanker explosion, authorities say
The blast happened in the early hours of Saturday near the Suleja area of Niger state.
At least 70 people have died in north-central Nigeria after a petrol tanker exploded, the country’s emergency response agency said.
The blast happened in the early hours of Saturday near the Suleja area of Niger state after individuals attempted to transfer fuel from one tanker into another truck using a generator.
The fuel transfer sparked the explosion, resulting in the deaths of those transferring the gasoline and bystanders, Hussaini Isah of the National Emergency Management Agency, told the Associated Press.
Search and rescue operations were under way, Mr Isah said.
In September, an explosion killed at least 48 people in Niger state after a fuel tanker collided with another truck carrying cattle.
There were 1,531 fuel tanker crashes in 2020 resulting in 535 fatalities and 1,142 injuries, according to Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps.
