How did as many as 140 people die in one of Nigeria's deadliest tanker explosions?

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian authorities have announced measures to correct lapses that resulted in the deaths of more than 140 people in an explosion on Wednesday as they were trying to scoop up fuel from an overturned fuel tanker in one of the deadliest road accidents ever in the West African nation.

Most of the victims in the accident in Jigawa state were burned to death close to the tanker but some were caught in the fire as they tried to assist others, witnesses say. It is a recurring disaster in one of Africa’s top oil-producing countries, where tankers are the main source of transporting fuel across states.

The Nigerian Federal Road Safety Corps issued a nationwide order to implement the minimum safety standards for fuel tankers before they are allowed on the road, its spokesman Olusegun Ogungbemide said.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu also said he is committed to a “swift and comprehensive” review of fuel transportation safety protocols across the country, according to a statement issued Wednesday night by his office.

The latest accident happened at midnight as the tanker driver lost control of the vehicle in the remote town of Majiya, where the emergency services could not arrive until several hours later, according to Dr. Haruna Mairiga, head of the Jigawa disaster management agency.

Danladi Umar, one of the survivors, said those who escaped the fire tried to intervene and help the others but the fire quickly spread and caught up with them.

“Motorcyclists and passersby (also) died as a result (and) others died while trying to rescue their friends and family members,” Umar said.

One of the victims was Muhammad Shu’aibu Majia's 15-year-old son, who he said was also trying to help others. Majia's second son was also affected and is being treated for severe burns.

At a government hospital in Kano where the critically injured were sent Wednesday night, Majia joined other parents, all looking agitated. Some had mats, suggesting they might have spent the night within the hospital premises.

“It’s the will of God. They were there attempting to rescue some of the victims when they became also affected,” Majia said of his children.

Across many Nigerian roads, overturned fuel tankers are a common sight, sometimes in traffic during the day. There were more than 1,500 such accidents resulting in 535 deaths in 2020, according to Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps.

Many of those who die in such accidents are people trying to salvage fuel to store at home, a practice that has continued despite safety warnings. Already faced with high rates of poverty and hunger, many Nigerians are struggling with soaring fuel prices that have tripled since the government ended costly gas subsidies last year.

One major cause of such accidents, and why they usually result in explosions, is that many petrol tankers are not designed according to international best practices, said Timothy Iwuagwu, president of the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria.

Most tanker drivers are not properly trained on safety measures such as not overloading and adhering to speed limits, and that makes accidents so common, Iwuagwu said.

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Umar reported from Kano, Nigeria. Associated Press journalist Dan Ikpoyi in Lagos, Nigeria contributed.