At least 18 people have died and 10 others sustained injuries following a gasoline tanker explosion in Enugu State, southern Nigeria, officials confirmed on Saturday.
The tragic incident occurred on the Enugu-Onitsha expressway when the tanker, heavily loaded with gasoline, lost control, collided with 17 vehicles, and erupted in flames, according to Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
Olusegun Ogungbemide, the FRSC spokesperson, revealed that the victims were “burnt beyond recognition.” Rescue teams managed to save three uninjured individuals while treating the 10 injured at the scene.
Fatal accidents involving fuel tankers are frequent in Nigeria due to the country’s inadequate railway infrastructure for cargo transportation, forcing heavy reliance on roadways.
This disaster comes shortly after a similar tragedy earlier this month, when 98 people perished in a tanker explosion in Niger State. That incident occurred as locals attempted to siphon fuel from a crashed tanker using a generator, leading to a fire.
Authorities have since launched a nationwide campaign to discourage risky practices such as gasoline scooping, which is a common but dangerous activity in Nigeria, driven by high fuel costs.
“Gasoline tanker accidents do not have to lead to the loss of lives,” said Lanre Issa-Onilu, director-general of the National Orientation Agency, urging citizens to avoid unsafe practices during a public awareness event near Suleja.
Fuel prices in Nigeria have surged since the removal of subsidies over a year ago, a policy introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to redirect resources toward developmental projects. However, this decision has imposed significant hardships on the population, prompting some to resort to dangerous methods to obtain or profit from fuel.