Death toll in Nigeria fuel tanker explosion rises to 170

A fuel tanker explosion in northern Nigeria has killed more than 170 people, with a further 70 receiving intensive care in hospital, police said on Friday.

A blast tore through crowds who had rushed to collect fuel spilling from a crashed tanker in the town of Majiya in Jigawa state late on Tuesday.

"At the Federal Medical Centers in Azare, Nguru, and Birnin Kudu, 70 people were receiving intensive care," said spokesman Deputy Superintendent of Police Lawan Shiisu Adam in a statement, with the death toll rising to 170.

Other hospitals were also treating victims for injuries, he added.

The tragedy is the latest such accident in Nigeria at a time when petrol has become a precious commodity in Africa's most populous country, which is suffering its worst economic crisis in a generation.

A victim injured during a tanker explosion receives treatment at the intensive care unit in Majia, Nigeria. Reuters

Many are struggling to get access to gasoline, as its price has spiked more than fivefold since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took office in May 2023.

Inflation has been peaking at more than 30 percent for months, reaching an almost three-decade high of 34.19 percent in June, down to 32.7 percent in September.

More than half -- 56 percent -- of Nigerians are living under the poverty line, up from 40 percent in 2018, according to a World Bank report published Thursday.

At least 59 people died last month when a fuel tanker collided with a truck carrying passengers and cattle in northwestern Niger state.

Agence France-Presse