- A gasoline tanker overturned and exploded in Jigawa, Nigeria, resulting in over 140 deaths and at least 50 injuries, as people rushed to the overturned vehicle to collect fuel.[1][2]
- Emergency services said Wednesday that the incident occurred near midnight in Jigawa's Majiya village when the tanker driver lost control while traveling on a highway and veered off course to avoid a collision with a truck.[1][2]
- According to police spokesperson Lawan Adam, locals who heard about the accident hurried to the scene to retrieve fuel, which led to the "massive inferno" that claimed numerous lives.[3]
- The head of the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency said 97 people died on the scene, while others succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment in a hospital.[4]
- Deadly truck accidents are common along many of Nigeria's main roads. Last month, at least 48 people were killed when a fuel tanker exploded after colliding with another truck carrying travelers and cattle in north-central Nigeria.[5][6]
- In 2020, Nigeria recorded 1,531 petrol tanker crashes, resulting in 535 deaths and 1,142 injuries. With an estimated 87M citizens living below the poverty line, it comes second to India for hosting the world's largest poor population.[2][7]
