Fuel chaos: Nigeria's fatal tanker tragedy amid crisis
As a result of a tanker explosion in Nigeria, 86 people were killed. The vehicle initially had an accident, and people believed they could take fuel from the truck, but an explosion occurred. Nearly four months earlier, a similar incident resulted in 170 casualties.
On Saturday morning, a tragic accident occurred in Nigeria where a tanker carrying about 73,000 litres of fuel crashed on the road between the nation's capital, Abuja, and the city of Kaduna, as reported by The Guardian. The incident resulted in 86 deaths. Earlier reports mentioned 70 fatalities.
After the accident, hundreds of Nigerians gathered at the site of the tanker. They attempted to collect the remnants of the spilled substance, which is when the explosion occurred. Unfortunately, according to CNN, this decision increased the number of casualties. The injured were taken to hospitals, and firefighters were able to extinguish the fire.
It is possible that these were desperate residents, as Nigeria has been grappling with a serious economic crisis for the past year and a half, significantly worsening the financial situation of many citizens. One of the main issues is rising fuel prices, which have increased fivefold over the last 18 months, according to The Guardian. This happened after Bola Tinubu took office as president. The country's authorities claim that their policies will strengthen the economy.
"We buried 86 burnt corpses between 12:00 pm yesterday to 2:00 am of today," reported the spokesperson for the national crisis management agency, Ibrahim Audu Husseini, as quoted by France24.
According to Reuters, Nigerians acted in accordance with Muslim tradition, which is the dominant religion in the country. At the same time, Nigeria has the largest Muslim population in Africa.
In October, a similar accident occurred in the state of Jigawa, which accounts for the largest oil production in the country. At that time, more than 170 people were killed. It was one of the most tragic events in the history of the country located in West Africa. Two weeks ago in the oil-rich state of Delta, there was a tanker explosion that claimed at least five lives.
