INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
At least 70 people were killed and more injured in northern Nigeria on Saturday when a petrol tanker truck overturned, spilling fuel that
exploded, the country&s national emergency agency said.The accident in Niger state follows a similar blast in Jigawa state last October that
killed 147 people, one of the worst such tragedies in Nigeria, Reuters reported.As of this report, over 70 bodies have been recovered, 56
individuals are injured, and more than 15 shops have been destroyed,& the National Emergency Management Authority said in a statement.The
injured have been transported to hospitals for treatment, while recovery efforts for the deceased are ongoing.A Reuters witness said
residents and officials were digging graves with a view to bury the victims on Saturday night in accordance with Islamic rites
Niger is a largely Muslim state in Africa&s most populous nation.Earlier, Kumar Tsukwam, the Federal Road Safety Corps sector commander for
Niger state, said most of the victims were impoverished local residents who had rushed to scoop up the spilled petrol after the truck
overturned.Large crowd of people gathered to scoop fuel despite concerted efforts to stop them,& Tsukwam said in a statement.Tsukwam said
firefighters had managed to put out the fire.Such accidents have become common in Africa&s largest oil producer, killing dozens of people in
the country grappling with its worst cost of living crisis in a generation, read the report.The price of petrol in Nigeria has soared more
than 400% since President Bola Tinubu scrapped a decades-old subsidy when he came into office in May 2023.Bologi Ibrahim, spokesperson to
Niger state governor, said residents should give priority to their safety when petrol tanker trucks are involved in accidents.The post Fuel
tanker truck blast kills at least 70 in Nigeria first appeared on Ariana News.
