The death toll likely to go up in the latest tanker explosion in Africa’s largest economy amid rising fuel cost.
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, a sector commander for Niger State with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said on Saturday that people rushed to scoop 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 burnt beyond recognition,” Tsukwam said. “We are at the scene to clear things up,” he said, adding that firefighters had managed to put out the fire.
Mohammed Bago, the Niger governor, confirmed the incident in a statement and said that many people are believed to have perished in a huge fire caused by the tanker explosion.
He described the incident as “worrisome, heartbreaking, and unfortunate”.
Tanker accidents common
Such accidents have become common in Africa’s largest oil producer, killing dozens of people in the country grappling with its worst cost of living crisis in a generation.
The price of petrol in Nigeria has soared more than 400 percent since President Bola Tinubu scrapped a decades-old subsidy when he came into office in May 2023. This has led many to risk their lives to recover fuel during tanker truck accidents.
In October 2024, more than 150 people were killed after a nearly identical incident took place in the Jigawa State also located in northern Nigeria.
About 100 other people were also injured in that incident, with a growing crowd approaching an overturned tanker to pick up fuel that they could then sell in the black market. Many of the victims were buried together in a large funeral organised by the authorities.
In September of the same year, another 59 people were killed in Niger State after a fuel tanker collided with a truck carrying passengers and cattle.
After the October incident, Nigerian President Tinubu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reviewing and enhancing fuel transportation safety protocols. He also said police would strengthen measures to prevent further accidents, including increased patrols, stricter enforcement of safety regulations, and other highway safety mechanisms.
Authorities have also been engaged in an effort to fight the theft of oil, having improved their security measures including adding gunboats on important waterways.
