A tragic fuel tanker explosion in northern Nigeria has killed nearly 100 people and injured 50 others, according to police on Wednesday.
The incident occurred late Tuesday in Jigawa state, after the tanker swerved to avoid a collision with a truck in the town of Majia, police spokesperson Lawan Shiisu Adam said.
Following the crash, many residents gathered to collect the fuel spilled on the road, despite police efforts to keep them back.
The death toll currently stands at 94, with around 50 people injured, but authorities fear the numbers could rise.
The Nigerian Medical Association has called on doctors to urgently assist in nearby emergency rooms to cope with the surge of casualties.
Fuel tanker explosions are frequent in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, due to poorly maintained roads and the risk residents take to siphon fuel after accidents.
The fuel shortage crisis has worsened since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ended subsidies last year, causing petrol prices to quintuple.
The situation was further aggravated by a recent price hike from the state oil company, the second in just over a month.
