The death toll is expected to rise in the latest tanker explosion in Africa’s largest economy as oil prices soar.

At least 60 people have been killed and several others injured in an oil tanker explosion in the Dikko area of ​​Niger state in northern Nigeria, according to government officials.

Kumar Tsukwam, head of the Niger State and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said on Saturday that people rushed to collect the spilled fuel after the truck overturned. “The ship caught fire, engulfing another tank,” he said in a statement.

“Most of the victims were burned beyond recognition,” Tsukwam said. “We are on the scene to fix the situation,” he said, adding that firefighters were able to put out the fire.

Mohammed Bago, the governor of Niger, confirmed the incident in a statement and said that many people were believed to have died in a huge fire caused by a tank explosion.

He described the incident as “disturbing, disappointing, and tragic”.

Common tank accidents

Such accidents have become common in Africa’s largest oil industry, killing many people in a country struggling with the highest quality of life in a generation.

The price of petrol in Nigeria has risen by more than 400 percent since President Bola Tinubu canceled decades of subsidies when he took office in May 2023.

In October 2024, more than 150 people were killed after almost the same thing happened in Jigawa state which is also in the north of Nigeria.

Another 100 people were injured in the incident, and a crowd of people approached the overturned train to collect fuel that could be sold on the black market. Most of the people who were killed were buried together in a large funeral organized by the authorities.

In September of the same year, another 59 people were killed in Niger state when an oil tanker collided with a truck carrying people and cattle.

Following the incident in October, Nigeria’s President Tinubu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to review and strengthen security policies in the oil sector. He also said that the police have strengthened measures to prevent other accidents, including increased patrols, stricter safety regulations, and other road safety measures.

The adults are also sitting worked against oil theftafter improving their security measures including the addition of gunboats on important waterways.