The explosion of a fuel tanker truck in northern Nigeria occurred on Tuesday (15/10) evening local time in Majiya, a village in Jigawa state. When the vehicle crashed, local residents tried to collect the spilled fuel. As a result, when the truck exploded, many people died and were injured.
At least 153 people died with 100 others injured. “The driver lost control and the tanker overturned and spilled fuel into a drainage ditch,” Jigawa police spokesman Shiisu Lawan Adam told CNN yesterday.
A mass funeral was held on Wednesday (16/10) afternoon for several victims. The death toll has continued to rise since news of the deadly explosion spread.
“People feel very sad,” said Umar Majia, a community member whose 12-year-old nephew was killed in the blast. “An incident like this has never happened in society. This is the worst tragedy so far,” he told CNN.
Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima mourned the victims in a statement on Wednesday. “My heart aches for those whose families have been devastated by this disaster. This devastating incident has shaken us all to the core. The Federal Government stands with the people of Jigawa. We are mobilizing all necessary resources to support the injured and assist the families affected by the disaster This.”
Shettima also announced immediate federal government intervention and called for a comprehensive review of fuel transportation safety protocols. The blast came a month after at least 48 people were killed in a similar accident in north-central Niger state.
Fuel tanker truck explosions are not unusual in Africa’s most populous country, where oil supplies are often shipped by road. Previous fires caused many fatalities. In 2020, according to Nigeria’s road safety agency, more than 500 people lost their lives in more than 1,500 fuel tanker truck accidents recorded that year.
Plus, residents are besieged by the soaring cost of living in the West African country, including scarce and expensive petrol. Because of this, residents often dare to take fuel from fallen tankers or damaged oil pipelines.
Gas prices have risen drastically to more than six times the usual price since the government ended fuel subsidies last year. Poverty is still rampant in Nigeria despite its status as one of Africa’s largest oil producers. (Z-2)
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