At the very least 48 individuals have been killed within the central Nigerian state of Niger, after a gasoline tanker collided with a lorry carrying passengers and cattle, the nation’s catastrophe company mentioned.
The Niger State Emergency Administration Company mentioned the collision occurred at about 00:30 native time (01:30 GMT) on Sunday, and induced an explosion which engulfed each autos.
Director-general of the company, Abdullahi Baba-arah, mentioned response groups had been dispatched to the scene to handle the state of affairs.
Plenty of different autos had been additionally caught up within the explosion.
Footage taken from the scene shortly after the incident exhibits the 2 autos, which have been fully burnt out, in addition to a variety of lifeless cattle.
Talking to the Reuters information company after the incident, an emergency rescue employee mentioned they had been working to recuperate our bodies, in addition to lifeless animals which had been nonetheless contained in the car.
In accordance with state media, a mass burial is happening for the victims.
Governor Umaru Bago mentioned he was “pained by the unlucky incident” in a condolence message to the households of the victims.
Gas tanker explosions and accidents are frequent in Nigeria, partly as a result of poor state of roads.