Fuel Tanker Explosion in Nigeria’s Jigawa State Kills Over 150, Injuring Dozens as Residents Attempted to Collect Fuel

More than 150 people have died, and dozens have been injured, following a fuel tanker explosion in northwestern Nigeria, officials report.

The tragic incident occurred Tuesday night on an expressway in Jigawa State when the tanker, which had overturned, drew crowds attempting to collect its spilled fuel, police spokesperson Lawan Shiisu Adam said on Wednesday.

Map of Jigawa in Nigeria

“The residents were scooping up fuel from the overturned tanker when the explosion occurred, sparking a massive inferno,” he told The Associated Press.

The crash happened as the tanker, which had traveled approximately 110km (68 miles) from Kano State, tried to avoid colliding with a truck in Majia town. Video footage from the scene showed an intense fire engulfing the area, with bodies strewn across the ground. The blaze persisted into the early hours of Wednesday.

“The tanker crashed while conveying products to the northern parts of Nigeria. It was driving along a major highway when it spilled its contents,” reported Al Jazeera’s Fidelis Mbah from Sokoto. “Most of the villages around there, the residents, rushed to the scene to try and scoop up the fuel – either for domestic or commercial purposes. And in the process, within minutes, the tanker exploded killing dozens of them right there at the spot,” he said, adding that authorities fear the death toll may increase.

Police and emergency workers confirmed that at least 50 injured people were transported to hospitals in nearby Ringim and Hadejia towns for treatment. In response, the Nigerian Medical Association has urged local doctors to assist with the influx of patients, and Nigerian lawmakers observed a minute’s silence in the Senate on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Vice President Kashim Shettima issued a statement calling for a comprehensive safety review, adding that the federal government is sending resources to aid the affected communities.

Deadly tanker accidents are frequent on Nigeria’s main roads, often attributed to reckless driving, poor road conditions, and inadequate vehicle maintenance. Similar accidents have occurred recently; last month, an explosion in Nigeria’s Niger State claimed at least 48 lives following a fuel tanker collision.

Statistics from Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps show that in 2020 alone, there were 1,531 petrol tanker crashes, resulting in 535 fatalities and 1,142 injuries. The high rate of tanker explosions often leads to mass casualties, as residents attempt to siphon fuel for personal use, especially as Nigeria faces its worst economic crisis in a generation.

Fuel prices have surged in recent months. In early September, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company raised petrol prices by at least 39 percent, marking the second major increase in over a year.