Nigeria tanker tragedy: Economic desperation fuels disaster
As a result of a tanker explosion in Nigeria, 86 people lost their lives. The vehicle initially had an accident, and people believed they could take fuel from the truck, but an explosion occurred. Nearly four months earlier, a similar incident resulted in 170 casualties.
On Saturday morning, a tragic accident occurred in Nigeria, where a tanker carrying about 60,500 litres of fuel crashed on the road between the country's capital, Abuja, and the city of Kaduna, according to The Guardian. The incident resulted in 86 deaths. Earlier reports mentioned 70 fatalities.
Following the accident, hundreds of Nigerians gathered at the tanker site. They attempted to collect the remnants of the spilled substance, and that's when the explosion occurred. Unfortunately, according to CNN, this decision increased the number of casualties. The injured were transported to hospitals, and firefighters managed to extinguish the fire.
These may have been desperate residents, as Nigeria has been grappling with a significant economic crisis for a year and a half, which has seriously worsened the financial situation of many citizens. One of the main issues is rising fuel prices, which have increased fivefold over the past 18 months, adds The Guardian. This escalation followed Bola Tinubu's assumption of the presidency. The country's authorities claim their policies will strengthen the economy.
"We buried 86 burnt corpses between 12:00 pm yesterday to 2:00 am of today," reported the spokesperson for the national crisis management agency, Ibrahim Audu Husseini, as quoted by France24.
According to Reuters, Nigerians acted in accordance with Islamic tradition, which is the dominant religion in the country. At the same time, Nigeria has the largest Muslim population in Africa.
In October, a similar accident occurred in the state of Jigawa, which accounts for the largest oil production in the country. At that time, more than 170 people were killed. It was one of the most tragic events in the history of the country located in West Africa. Two weeks ago, in the oil-rich state of Delta, there was a tanker explosion that claimed at least five lives.
