At least 94 people have died and 50 have been injured in the early hours of this Wednesday by the explosion of a fuel truck in Nigeria, confirmed Lawan Shiisu Adam, the spokesman for the Jigawa Police (north of the country). According to authorities, the accident occurred when the driver lost control of the vehicle while traveling from the city of Port Harcourt, in the southern Rivers State, to the northern town of Nguru. Upon reaching Majiya village in Jigawa, the vehicle overturned next to Khadija University. Most of the victims occurred when local residents surrounded the vehicle to collect the fuel, minutes before it exploded, the local newspaper reported. Premium Times.
The injured – many in critical condition – were taken to local hospitals in the cities of Ringim and Hadejia, where they were being treated, the police spokesman confirmed to Reuters. Likewise, he has assured that during the day a mass burial will be held for those killed in the accident. “We are concerned that, despite warnings from the Police for people to stay away from the scenes of accidents involving fuel tankers, people continue to approach them,” lamented Shiisu Adam.
Speaking to the BBC, the spokesperson said that people approached the truck even though it had been cordoned off earlier by the police. “We did everything possible to prevent people from going to the vehicle to refuel, but despite cordoning off the area, they overpowered us and while people were collecting fuel, a fire broke out,” he said.
Nigeria is Africa’s leading crude oil producer. It is the great asset of the country – it accounts for two thirds of the State’s income – which continues with oil exploitation amid criticism for its environmental impact and the concentration of wealth at the mouth of the Niger, the largest river in Africa. western. Peaceful social protests against the oil companies transformed into violent actions in the late 1990s, culminating in an amnesty in 2009. In recent years, groups have emerged again that have carried out sabotage and attacked part of the infrastructure. oil company of the country.
These types of accidents involving fuel trucks are common in Nigeria. On September 8, an accident in Niger State (northwest of the country) caused the explosion of a tanker truck that left 59 people dead after colliding with another vehicle transporting travelers and livestock. In April 2023, 10 people died in a similar accident in Plateau State (center of the country).
Many roads in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, are poorly maintained and riddled with potholes, causing accidents that claim dozens of lives each year.