At least 48 people were killed in the early hours of Sunday by a petrol tanker explosion following an accident on a major road in north-central Niger, the region’s emergency agency reported.

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“The NSEMA (Emergency Management Agency of the State of Niger) has received a report of a deadly explosion from a tanker truck that occurred on Sunday, September 8, 2024 at about midnight (23:00 GMT on Saturday) along the local government area of Lapai-KuanAgale”, the agency detailed in a statement.

The first reports indicated 30 dead people, but inrecent reports says the toll have raisen to 48. Hussaini Ibrahim, spokesperson for NSEMA, reported that the death toll had risen to 48, though the actual number may increase as rescue efforts continue.

News agency report that that kind of accidents are very common in Nigeria, where poorly maintained roads and vehicles often contribute to such disasters. 

Scores of commuters escaped death on Saturday when a loaded petroleum tanker suddenly went up in flames at Ajia junction, Ibadan-Ife Road, Ibadan.

reports says that the driver of the tanker was attempting to divert to another lane when it caught fire at about 4.45pm.

The… pic.twitter.com/9oXfwYNso8

— Cable Reporters (@CableReporters_) September 7, 2024

The incident occurred when “a tanker truck loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS or Mogas, a petrol used in internal combustion vehicles and generators) collided with a trailer truck carrying passengers and livestock from (the town of) Wudil in the state of Kano (north), in the direction of Lagos (south), and in which two other vehicles were also involved: a crane truck and a pickup truck”.

“The death of more than 30 people has been confirmed and over 50 livestock have been burned alive,” said NSEMA Director-General Abdullahi Baba Arab.

According to Arab, emergency agency officials continue to conduct search and rescue operations on Sunday afternoon as more bodies are suspected of being trapped inside the vehicles.

The tragedy comes amid ongoing fuel shortages in Nigeria. Last week, Nigeria’s oil company, NNPC Ltd, raised gasoline prices by at least 39%—the second significant hike in just over a year. Despite the increase, shortages have persisted, forcing motorists to endure long queues at fuel stations across the country’s major cities and towns.

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