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.
Netherlands has become the latest European country to return artefacts to Africa after it signed an agreement pledging to return 119 'stolen' historical artefacts to Nigeria after extensive consultation with its Colonial collections committee.
At least 23 people were killed when a truck carrying passengers and goods overturned in the northern Nigerian city of Kano. The driver lost control, causing the truck to plunge into an underpass in the Hotoro district on Thursday night.
Brazil announces Nigeria's acceptance as a partner country in BRICS, highlighting shared interests and Nigeria's growing role in global governance and the Global South.
At least 13 people died in two deadly crowd incidents in Nigeria on Saturday, as charity events turned tragic, with victims mostly women and children. Amnesty calls for a thorough investigation.
Menlo Park, CA, February 17, 2025 – Newly unsealed court documents from the case Kadrey v. Meta shed light on internal discussions among Meta employees about the use of copyrighted materials to train the company’s artificial intelligence models.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is asking Congress for nearly $40 billion in disaster funding to help Los Angeles recover and rebuild areas scorched by last month's devastating wildfires, the Washington Post reported on Friday citing a letter.
San Francisco, February 17, 2025 – OpenAI has terminated a group of Chinese ChatGPT accounts that were reportedly used to edit and debug code for an AI-powered social media surveillance tool.
‘We are already negotiating to work together in space, we can collaborate in this sphere also," Russian leader says
Vatican City, February 20, 2025 – Pope Francis will not appear in public on Sunday to lead his customary prayer with pilgrims, marking the second consecutive week of absence, the Vatican announced on Saturday.
A tragic crowd crush at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night left 18 dead and 10 injured as thousands of people, many heading to the Kumbh Mela festival, attempted to board delayed trains. The incident highlights the ongoing risks of overcrowding at public transportation hubs in India.
A Delta Air Lines regional jet flipped upside down upon landing at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday, injuring 18 people. Officials are investigating whether strong winds and snow played a role in the incident.
Berlin, February 21, 2025 – German citizens will head to the polls on Sunday, February 23, for a snap general election after the coalition government collapsed late last year.
BERLIN, Feb 22 (Reuters) - NATO is planning to build a pipeline system from Germany to Poland and the Czech Republic to ensure a rapid supply of jet fuel for fighter aircraft in the event of a war with Russia, weekly German magazine Der Spiegel reported.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is asking Congress for nearly $40 billion in disaster funding to help Los Angeles recover and rebuild areas scorched by last month's devastating wildfires, the Washington Post reported on Friday citing a letter.
A second meeting between representatives of Russia and the United States is planned for the next two weeks, the RIA state news agency reported on Saturday, citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
Washington, D.C., February 21, 2025 – U.S. negotiators have reportedly raised the possibility of cutting Ukraine’s access to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service unless Kyiv reaches an agreement to grant the United States greater access to its critical minerals.
Hamas has begun releasing hostages from Gaza on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, as Israel confirmed that a body handed over earlier was that of hostage Shiri Bibas.
Menlo Park, CA, February 17, 2025 – Newly unsealed court documents from the case Kadrey v. Meta shed light on internal discussions among Meta employees about the use of copyrighted materials to train the company’s artificial intelligence models.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is asking Congress for nearly $40 billion in disaster funding to help Los Angeles recover and rebuild areas scorched by last month's devastating wildfires, the Washington Post reported on Friday citing a letter.
San Francisco, February 17, 2025 – OpenAI has terminated a group of Chinese ChatGPT accounts that were reportedly used to edit and debug code for an AI-powered social media surveillance tool.
‘We are already negotiating to work together in space, we can collaborate in this sphere also," Russian leader says
Vatican City, February 20, 2025 – Pope Francis will not appear in public on Sunday to lead his customary prayer with pilgrims, marking the second consecutive week of absence, the Vatican announced on Saturday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment