86 Dead After Fuel Tanker Explosion in Nigeria
A tragic fuel tanker explosion in Niger state, Nigeria, has claimed 86 lives and left 52 others with severe burns. The accident occurred after a truck carrying 60,000 liters of petrol overturned at Dikko junction, sparking a deadly fire.
Most of the victims were impoverished locals who had rushed to scoop the spilled fuel, despite warnings from authorities. It took 14 hours to manually dig a mass grave for the charred remains of the victims due to the lack of excavators, officials said.
The incident highlights Nigeria’s ongoing economic crisis, as fuel prices have surged by 400% since President Bola Tinubu ended decades-old fuel subsidies in May 2023. The high cost of living has forced many Nigerians into desperate actions, with similar accidents occurring frequently.
President Tinubu expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and ordered a national awareness campaign to warn against scooping fuel from fallen tankers. The explosion comes just months after a similar accident in Jigawa state killed 147 people.