ABUJA: Greater than 140 individuals, together with kids, have been killed and dozens have been injured in Nigeria after an overturned gasoline tanker truck exploded in flames whereas they have been making an attempt to scoop up gasoline pouring from the automobile, emergency companies mentioned Wednesday. The accident occurred at midnight in Jigawa state’s Majiya city when the tanker driver misplaced management of the automobile whereas travelling on a freeway, police spokesperson Lawan Adam mentioned. Residents rushed to the scene and have been scooping up gasoline, “sparking an enormous inferno,” he mentioned.
“Near 140 individuals have been put in a mass grave aside from individuals buried in different places,” Nura Abdullahi, head of the Nationwide Emergency Administration Company within the area, instructed The Related Press. Residents of Majiya have been in mourning on Wednesday as they held a mass burial for the victims. Many of the our bodies have been unrecognizable, emergency companies mentioned.
Lethal tanker accidents are frequent in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, the place site visitors laws will not be strictly enforced in lots of locations and there’s a lack of an environment friendly railway system to move cargo. It is usually frequent for individuals to salvage gasoline with cups and buckets to take residence after such accidents. The follow has turn out to be extra frequent due to hovering gasoline costs, which have tripled for the reason that begin of final yr as the federal government ended expensive fuel subsidies.
The motive force concerned within the accident had travelled about 110 kilometers (68 miles) from neighbouring Kano state, police mentioned. The Jigawa State Emergency Administration Company initially put the dying toll at 105, together with those that died whereas being handled at hospitals. Most different victims have been “burned to ashes” on the scene of the accident, mentioned Dr Haruna Mairiga, head of Jigawa emergency companies.
“In the event that they knew (in regards to the hazard), they would not have gone to fetch (the gasoline),” Mairiga mentioned. He mentioned emergency companies arrived on the scene a number of hours after the accident. Resident Sani Umar instructed native Channels Tv that the fireplace “unfold so shortly that many could not escape”. “Folks have been operating in all instructions, screaming for assist,” Umar mentioned.
“This can be a heartbreaking second for us all,” mentioned state police Commissioner Ahmadu Abdullahi.
