ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) – The death toll from a gasoline tanker explosion in north-central Nigeria has risen to 98, the country's emergency response agency said on Monday.
The explosion occurred in the early hours of Saturday near the Suleja area of Niger state after individuals tried to transfer gasoline from a stricken oil tanker to another truck using a generator.
The transfer of fuel caused the explosion, resulting in the deaths of those transferring the gasoline and bystanders.
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Hussaini Isah, the head of operations of the National Emergency Management Agency for Niger State, told the Associated Press on Monday that it is possible that the death toll could still rise.
“The death toll is constantly changing,” he said.
On Sunday, Isah said the explosion claimed many victims as a crowd had gathered at the scene, including people taking pictures, onlookers and others trying to get gasoline. construction
Gasoline prices in Africa's most populous country have risen after the administration of a President Bola Tinubu removing subsidies on the product more than a year ago in an effort to direct the resources to development purposes. However, the policy has caused hardship.
Obtaining gasoline from an overturned tanker is common in Nigeria as some people see it as an opportunity to get a free product that they can use or resell for profit.
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