Tragic petrol tanker explosion in Nigeria claims over 70 lives. Residents urged to prioritize safety during such incidents.
At least 70 people were killed and more injured in northern Nigeria on Saturday when a petrol tanker truck overturned, spilling fuel that exploded, the country's national emergency agency said.
The accident in Niger state follows a similar blast in Jigawa state last October that killed 147 people, one of the worst such tragedies in Nigeria.
"As of this report, over 70 bodies have been recovered, 56 individuals are injured, and more than 15 shops have been destroyed," the National Emergency Management Authority said in a statement.
"The injured have been transported to hospitals for treatment, while recovery efforts for the deceased are ongoing."
A Reuters witness said residents and officials were digging graves with a view to bury the victims on Saturday night in accordance with Islamic rites. Niger is a largely Muslim state in Africa's most populous nation.
Earlier, Kumar Tsukwam, the Federal Road Safety Corps sector commander for Niger state, said most of the victims were impoverished local residents who had rushed to scoop up the spilled petrol after the truck overturned.
"Large crowd of people gathered to scoop fuel despite concerted efforts to stop them," Tsukwam said in a statement.
Tsukwam said firefighters had managed to put out the fire.
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% since President Bola Tinubu scrapped a decades-old subsidy when he came into office in May 2023.
Bologi Ibrahim, spokesperson to Niger state governor, said residents should give priority to their safety when petrol tanker trucks are involved in accidents.
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More than 1,800 people have been arrested in a major anti-scam operation across seven Asian jurisdictions, including Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives, and Macao, authorities announced on Tuesday.
Latvia, Colombia, Liberia, Congo, and Bahrain—have been elected to the United Nations Security Council in an uncontested vote.
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More than 1,800 people have been arrested in a major anti-scam operation across seven Asian jurisdictions, including Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives, and Macao, authorities announced on Tuesday.
Latvia, Colombia, Liberia, Congo, and Bahrain—have been elected to the United Nations Security Council in an uncontested vote.
The British government has threatened legal action against Roman Abramovich to ensure that the £2.5 billion from his 2022 sale of Chelsea Football Club goes to victims of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a series of decrees confirming sweeping changes in the military command, including the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new commander of the Joint Forces.
Elon Musk has sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s flagship tax and spending bill, calling it a “disgusting abomination” in a post on X Tuesday — his most direct attack on the legislation since leaving the administration last week.
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