Fuel tanker explosion in Enugu kills 18, injures 10, with victims burned beyond recognition; highlights ongoing issues with fuel transport and safety in Nigeria.

At least 18 people lost their lives and 10 others sustained injuries in southern Nigeria following the explosion of a gasoline tanker, officials confirmed.

The incident occurred along the Enugu-Onitsha expressway in Enugu, a southeastern state, after the tanker, carrying petrol, lost control, collided with 17 vehicles, and erupted into flames. According to a statement from Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps, the victims were “burnt beyond recognition,” as stated by Olusegun Ogungbemide, spokesperson for the safety corps rescue teams. Rescuers managed to extract three individuals who were unharmed.

Fatal truck accidents are frequent on major roads across Nigeria, the continent's most populous nation, due to the lack of an efficient railway system for cargo transport.

Earlier this month, another tragedy occurred in north-central Nigeria near the Suleja area of Niger state, where 98 people died in a gasoline tanker explosion. This happened when individuals attempted to transfer gasoline from a crashed oil tanker into another truck using a generator. Some bystanders at the scene were also scooping fuel, a common but dangerous practice in Nigeria.

Following the Suleja incident, authorities launched a nationwide campaign to discourage fuel scooping from fallen tankers and other risky behaviors that often lead to fatal outcomes. Speaking near Suleja, Lanre Issa-Onilu, director-general of the National Orientation Agency, emphasized the avoidable nature of such tragedies, stating, “Gasoline tanker accidents do not have to lead to the loss of lives.”

The removal of fuel subsidies over a year ago by President Bola Tinubu’s government has caused a surge in petrol prices, intensifying hardships for many Nigerians. Despite this, the practice of scooping fuel from fallen tankers persists, as individuals either use it or sell it for profit.