People cover the graves of recently buried victims after a fuel tanker crashed and exploded in Majia, Jigawa state, Nigeria on October 16, 2024. Photo courtesy: Reuters
More than 140 people, including children, have been killed in Nigeria after an overturned gasoline tanker truck caught fire while they were trying to drain fuel, emergency services said on Wednesday (October 16, 2024). Dozens more were injured.
Fatal tanker accidents are common in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, which lacks an efficient railway system to transport goods. People often save fuel with cups and buckets – especially due to rising fuel prices, which have tripled since the government ended costly gas subsidies last year.
Police spokesman Lawnon Adam said the latest accident occurred at midnight in Majia town in northern Jigawa state when the tanker driver lost control on the highway. Residents rushed to the scene before the “huge blaze”.
Emergency services said most of the bodies were unrecognizable.
“About 140 people were buried in mass graves, in addition to those buried elsewhere,” said Noura Abdullahi, head of the National Emergency Management Agency in the region. The Associated Press,
Dr. Haruna Mariga, head of Jigawa emergency services, said most of the other victims were “burnt to ashes” at the scene.
“If they had known (about the danger), they would not have gone to get (the fuel),” Mr Mariga said.
But resident Sani Omar told local channel television that the fire spread so quickly that many people could not escape. “People were running in all directions screaming for help,” Mr Omar said.
According to Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps, there were more than 1,500 accidents involving fuel tankers in Nigeria in 2020, resulting in 535 deaths. Experts say that in many cases, no prosecution is pursued and victims or their families are not compensated.
In September, at least 48 people were killed when a fuel tanker collided with another truck in north-central Nigeria.
The latest accident has again raised questions over safety measures and implementation of traffic rules in the West African country.
Timothy Iwegwu, president of the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria, said many tankers are not designed in accordance with international best practices to avoid leakage during accidents. He said even the agencies charged with enforcing safety regulations often fail to do so.
“There are also not enough awareness campaigns, (and) when such accidents happen people deliberately do not comply with safety measures,” Mr Iwaguwu said.
published – October 16, 2024 05:03 PM IST