‘Heartbreaking’: More than 60 killed in tanker explosion in Nigeria News

The death toll in the latest tanker explosion in Africa’s biggest economy could rise amid rising fuel prices.

At least 60 people were killed and many more injured after a fuel tanker exploded in the Dikko region of Niger state in northern Nigeria, according to local authorities.

Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Niger State Sector Commander Kumar Tsukwam said on Saturday that people were rushing to collect the spilled petrol after the truck overturned. “The tanker caught fire and engulfed another tanker,” he said.

“Most of the victims were burned beyond recognition,” Tsukwam said. “We are at the scene to clean up the incident,” he said, adding that the firefighters managed to put out the fire.

The governor of Niger, Mohammed Bago, confirmed the incident in a statement and said that many people were killed in the huge fire caused by the explosion of the tanker.

He called the incident “disturbing, heartbreaking and unfortunate.”

Tanker accidents happen frequently

Such accidents have become commonplace in Africa’s biggest oil producer, killing dozens as the country battles its worst livelihood crisis in a generation.

The price of petrol in Nigeria has increased by more than 400 percent since President Bola Tinubu took office in May 2023.

In October 2024 More than 150 people died After almost the same thing happened in Jigawa state in northern Nigeria.

Around 100 others were also injured in the incident, as a growing crowd approached the overturned tanker to collect fuel that they could later sell on the black market. Many of the dead were buried together in a large funeral organized by the authorities.

In September of the same year, another 59 people were killed when a fuel tanker collided with a truck carrying passengers and livestock in Niger state.

After the October incident, Nigerian President Tinubu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to review and improve fuel transportation safety protocols. He also said the police would step up measures to prevent more accidents, including increased patrols, stricter enforcement of safety rules and other road safety mechanisms.

There were also authorities tried to fight oil theftby improving security measures, including adding armed boats to important waterways.