The death toll from Niger’s fuel tanker blast has risen to 58, after 3 people succumbed to their injuries on Monday, the government said.
The incident, took place late Sunday night on the road leading to the international airport in Niamey, the capital of the country, from Diori Hamani.
Many of the victims had gathered to collect fuel after the vehicle overturned close to railway tracks as it tried to park.
A college student who witnessed the incident told Agence France-Presse: “Just before midnight I went out and I saw the truck overturned. People came from everywhere to take gas, then I saw fire on its side and everything burst into flames.”
Mohamed Bazoum, Interior Minister, said that the explosion could have been caused by a spark from one of the motorcycles that had gathered at the scene.
Fuel tanker explosions are fairly common in Niger’s leading oil-producing neighbour, Nigeria. Last October, 20 cars and four commercial motorcycles were burned when a tanker spilled petroleum on a busy road.
