At least 70 people were killed in a disastrous oil tanker blast in north-central Nigeria, authorities confirmed on Saturday. The incident took place during an illegitimate energy exchange between two ships using a machine in the early hours near the Suleja region of Niger condition.
According to the National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ), the generator’s operation led to the explosion, which claimed the lives of both transferees and bystanders. Search and rescue operations are still in progress, according to Hussaini Isah, a NEMA standard who spoke to the Associated Press.
In Nigeria, where the inadequate rail system has made highway transportation the main mode of transportation for goods movement, these accidents are not unusual. Critical truck-related accidents are repeated across the country’s main highways.
At least 48 people were killed in Niger position last September when a truck carrying cattle collided with a gas ship in a similar horror.
Data from Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps reveals the size of the problem, with 1, 531 oil tanker accidents recorded in 2020 alone, resulting in 535 casualties and over 1, 100 injuries.
Officials have urged caution and strict safety standards to stop future fatalities from being caused by these situations.
