A petrol tanker crashed, caught fire and exploded in Nigeria yesterday, killing more than 100 people who had rushed to the scene to scoop up fuel that had spilled.
At least 50 others were injured in the incident in the southern Niger Delta region.
Witnesses said some charred corpses were still lying in the area hours after the explosion, including bodies the size of children.
Aftermath: A petrol tanker crashed, caught fire
and exploded in the southern Niger Delta region of Nigeria yesterday,
killing more than 100 people who had rushed to the scene to scoop up
fuel that had spilled
People stand near burnt roofing sheets after the tanker overturned and exploded. At least 50 others were injured in the incident
The tanker was trying to avoid a
head-on collision with buses when it swerved into a ditch yesterday
morning, said Rivers State police spokesman Ben Ugwuegbulam.It then overturned, leaving its fuel to spill and people immediately swarmed to the scene to collect some of it.
Yushau Shuaib, a spokesman for the West African country's emergency management agency, said the 95 people were killed in the explosion that ensued.
It was not immediately clear what had caused the fire that left the truck burned to ashes.
Despite decades as an oil producing region, the majority of those living in the Niger Delta remain desperately poor and mostly without access to proper medical care, education or work.
Anger over the situation on several occasions has driven young people to attack foreign oil firms based there and steal fuel from pipelines.
The crude that flows from the Niger Delta is the lifeblood of Nigeria's economy. The OPEC member now pumps out about 2.4million barrels of oil a day, making it Africa's biggest producer.
Despite decades as an oil producing region, the majority of those living in the Niger Delta remain desperately poor and mostly without access to proper medical care, education or work.
Anger over the situation on several occasions has driven young people to attack foreign oil firms based there and steal fuel from pipelines.
The crude that flows from the Niger Delta is the lifeblood of Nigeria's economy. The OPEC member now pumps out about 2.4million barrels of oil a day, making it Africa's biggest producer.
Production dropped drastically during the militant attacks that targeted pipelines and saw foreign workers kidnapped. A 2009 government-sponsored amnesty program saw many fighters lay down their arms and the violence largely stop.
The truck accident took place near the town of Okogbe, about 40miles from Port Harcourt city, Nigeria's oil capital in the delta - a region of swamps, mangroves and creek.
A pipeline and a filling station were near the accident site, but neither was affected.
Production dropped drastically during the militant attacks that targeted pipelines and saw foreign workers kidnapped. A 2009 government-sponsored amnesty program saw many fighters lay down their arms and the violence largely stop.
The truck accident took place near the town of Okogbe, about 40miles from Port Harcourt city, Nigeria's oil capital in the delta - a region of swamps, mangroves and creek.
A pipeline and a filling station were near the accident site, but neither was affected.
