More than 140 dead in Nigeria tanker truck explosion

The results are still provisional and already very heavy. “More than 140 people have already been buried,” according to Nura Abdullahi, a spokesperson for Nigeria’s National Relief Agency (NEMA). They died in the explosion of a tanker truck which overturned Tuesday evening after swerving to avoid a collision, in the locality of Majiya (Jigawa State), about a hundred kilometers to the northeast from Kano, the main city in the north of the country.

After the accident, residents flocked around the vehicle to collect the fuel that had spilled onto the road and shoulders. The police who tried to prevent them were pushed back by the crowd, explained Lawan Shiisu Adam, police spokesperson. It was then that the explosion took place, he added, without specifying the exact cause.

Minute of silence

“This devastating incident has deeply shaken us all. The Federal Government stands with the people of Jigawa,” the country’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, said in a statement.

He called for “a comprehensive review of fuel transportation security protocols in Nigeria” and demanded “immediate deployment” of the country’s relief agencies. Senators meeting in session in Abuja observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims.

1,531 tanker truck accidents in 2020

Besides accidents on poorly maintained roads common in Nigeria, those involving fuel tankers are also widespread. The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) recorded 1,531 in 2020, which caused the death of 535 people.

In addition to human and material losses, these accidents cause environmental damage due to gasoline leaks.