Abuja, Nigeria CNN —
At least 105 people were killed and 70 injured in northern Nigeria on Tuesday when a tanker exploded near locals who had gathered to collect fuel, police told CNN.
The death toll is expected to rise further following the explosion that occurred late Tuesday night local time in Maziya, a village in Jigawa state.
“The driver lost control and the tanker somersaulted, spilling fuel into a drain,” said Jigawa police spokesperson Seeth Lawan Adamu.
“As a result, residents rushed to scoop up fuel when the explosion occurred.”
Adamu added that a mass grave of the victims was held on Wednesday afternoon.
Nigeria’s Vice President Kassim Shettima mourned the victims in a statement on Wednesday, saying: “My heart aches for those whose families were torn apart by this disaster.
“This devastating incident has shaken us all to the core. The Federal Government stands with the people of Jigawa. We will assist the injured and support the families affected by this disaster. We are mobilizing all necessary resources.”
Mr. Shettima also announced that he “expressed immediate intervention from the federal government and called for a comprehensive review of safety protocols for fuel transportation.”
The explosion came a month after a similar accident killed at least 48 people in north-central Niger state.
Fuel tanker explosions are not uncommon in Africa’s most populous country, where oil supplies are often transported by land.
Past fires have resulted in multiple casualties. According to Nigeria’s Road Safety Authority, more than 1,500 fuel tanker accidents were recorded in 2020, with more than 500 people losing their lives.
In the West African country, where gasoline is scarce and expensive, residents struggling with rising costs of living often take risks to pump fuel from overturned tankers and damaged oil pipelines.
Since the government announced last year that petrol subsidies would be scrapped, petrol prices have risen dramatically to more than six times normal levels.
Although Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest oil producing countries, poverty remains widespread.
