10 killed after fuel tanker explodes in Uganda

Ugandan police say 10 people have been killed in an explosion following an accident involving a fuel tanker in western Uganda.

Police said in a statement Monday that the explosion happened Sunday after a fuel tanker lost control and rammed two commuter taxis and a saloon car. The statement said that "three smaller secondary explosions" of vehicles parked nearby followed, and several shops also caught fire.

Lethal traffic accidents frequently happen in the region, where roads are often narrow and potholed. Ugandan police usually blame motor accidents on speeding drivers.

Accidents involving fuel tankers are especially dangerous as sometimes people gather around the damaged vehicles to scoop fuel into plastic cans.

Scores were killed in Tanzania earlier in August when a damaged fuel tanker exploded as people swarmed around it.

Associated Press