A fuel tanker overturned and exploded on a motorway in central Nigeria on Tuesday, killing at least 29 people and injuring dozens more, according to emergency services.
The tragic incident occurred in Niger State along the busy Bida–Agaie route — the latest in a series of deadly fuel-related accidents in the region.
“A lorry carrying fuel overturned and began to leak. People went to scoop up the fuel. The truck exploded and they got burnt,” said Ibrahim Hussaini, a local coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). “We have 29 dead and 42 injured.”
Tanker explosions are a recurring tragedy in Nigeria, often linked to poorly maintained roads, reckless driving, and the dangerous practice of residents scooping up spilled fuel after crashes.
Nigeria has witnessed a surge in such incidents amid economic hardship following President Bola Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidies and currency controls in May 2023. While the reforms were aimed at reviving the economy, they have triggered a severe cost-of-living crisis, pushing many citizens to take extreme risks to obtain petrol.
In March, ten people were killed in a highway pileup near Abuja after a tanker truck caught fire. Earlier, in January, at least 98 people lost their lives in a similar explosion in Niger State while attempting to collect fuel from a crashed tanker.
Following that January tragedy, President Tinubu ordered a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about the dangers and environmental hazards of collecting fuel from fallen tankers.
