Folks cowl the graves of victims not too long ago buried, after a gasoline tanker crashed and exploded, in Majia, Jigawa State, Nigeria, on October 16, 2024.
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters

Greater than 140 folks, together with kids, have been killed in Nigeria when an overturned gasoline tanker truck exploded in flames whereas they tried to scoop up gasoline, emergency providers mentioned Wednesday (October 16, 2024). Dozens extra have been injured.

Lethal tanker accidents are frequent in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, which lacks an environment friendly railway system to move cargo. Folks usually salvage gasoline with cups and buckets — particularly due to hovering gasoline costs, which have tripled because the authorities ended expensive gasoline subsidies final yr.

The newest accident occurred at midnight in northern Jigawa state’s Majiya city when the tanker driver misplaced management on a freeway, police spokesperson Lawan Adam mentioned. Residents rushed to the scene earlier than the “large inferno.”

Many of the our bodies have been unrecognizable, emergency providers mentioned.

“Near 140 folks have been put in a mass grave, aside from folks buried somewhere else,” the top of the Nationwide Emergency Administration Company within the area, Nura Abdullahi, informed The Related Press.

Most different victims have been “burned to ashes” on the scene, mentioned Dr. Haruna Mairiga, head of the Jigawa emergency providers.

“In the event that they knew (concerning the hazard), they wouldn’t have gone to fetch (the gasoline),” Mr. Mairiga mentioned.

However resident Sani Umar informed native Channels Tv the hearth unfold so shortly that many couldn’t escape. “Folks have been working in all instructions, screaming for assist,” Mr. Umar mentioned.

Greater than 1,500 accidents involving gasoline tankers occurred in Nigeria in 2020, leading to 535 deaths, in line with Nigeria’s Federal Highway Security Corps. In lots of circumstances, there aren’t any prosecutions and victims or their households usually are not compensated, consultants say.

A minimum of 48 folks have been killed in September when a gasoline tanker collided with one other truck in north-central Nigeria.

The newest accident revived questions concerning the implementation of security measures and site visitors laws within the West African nation.

Many tankers usually are not designed in line with worldwide greatest practices to keep away from spillage throughout accidents, mentioned Timothy Iwuagwu, president of the Institute of Security Professionals of Nigeria. The companies charged with implementing security laws additionally usually fail to take action, he mentioned.

“There are additionally not sufficient consciousness campaigns, (and) individuals are not willfully compliant” with security measures when such accidents occur,” Mr. Iwuagwu mentioned.