
A tragic fuel tanker explosion has claimed 18 lives in southeastern Nigeria’s Enugu state, officials confirmed on Saturday. The accident occurred after the truck’s brakes failed, causing it to lose control and crash into over a dozen vehicles on an expressway, according to Olusegun Ogungbemide, spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps.
“Ten people were rescued with varying degrees of injuries, while another three escaped unharmed,” Ogungbemide said in a statement. “Tragically, the remaining 18 victims were burned beyond recognition.”
This incident comes just a week after a similar explosion in northern Nigeria killed nearly 100 residents. Such accidents are alarmingly frequent in Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, with authorities citing poor road conditions and reckless driving as major causes of these deadly incidents.