Over 140 dead after fuel tanker blast in northern Nigeria, officials report

Victims were burnt to death on Tuesday trying to collect fuel that had spilled from the crashed vehicle at Majia

A fuel tanker explosion in northern Nigeria has killed more than 140 people, a spokesman for the national emergency agency told AFP on Wednesday.

Victims were burnt to death on Tuesday trying to collect fuel that had spilled from the crashed vehicle in the town of Majia in Jigawa state.

Nura Abdullahi, a spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said "more than 140" people have been buried in a mass grave and warned the toll was likely to rise further.

The Nigerian Medical Association has urged doctors to rush to nearby emergency rooms to help with the influx of patients.

Fuel tanker explosions are common in Africa's most populous nation, where roads can be poorly maintained and residents often look to siphon off fuel following accidents.

Fuel has become an even more precious commodity as Nigeria suffers its worst economic crisis in a generation.

The price of petrol has soared fivefold since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu scrapped subsidies last year, and there are often shortages.

Desperation rose further last week after the state oil company hiked prices for the second time in just over a month.

Accidents involving tankers are frequent in the country, with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) recording 1,531 in 2020, causing 535 deaths.

Last month, at least 59 people died when a fuel tanker collided with a truck carrying passengers and cattle in northwestern Niger state.

The FRSC said more than 5,000 people died in road accidents in Nigeria in 2023, compared to nearly 6,500 the previous year.