48 people confirmed dead in Nigerian fuel tanker collision

Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Forty-eight people are dead after a fuel tanker collided head-on with another truck along a highway in Nigeria on Sunday, the country's emergency response agency said. Dozens of cattle also are reported to have been burned alive.

The accident occurred about 12:30 a.m. local time in Dendo village, about a mile from Agaie town, the headquarters of the local state government.

Niger State Gov. Farmer Mohammed Umaru Bago expressed sadness over the incident.

"While commiserating with all those who suffered losses in the incident, the Farmer Governor says the State Government through the Niger State Emergency Management Agency and other relevant organizations have been mobilized to the scene of the accident for rescue operation and other necessary actions," a statement from the governor said.

"He calls for calm by the residents of the affected area, and also enjoins road users to always be cautious and abide by road traffic regulations to safeguard lives and property."

Images of the scene show charred bodies strewn among vegetation near the accident site, and masked onlookers and the remains of the incinerated petroleum truck in the background. Officials said at least 50 head of cattle also died as a result of the explosion that occurred when the trucks hit head-on.

Rescue officials were said to be trying to reach bodies that could still be trapped in the trucks.

The emergency management agency said the victims of the fuel tanker crash will be given a mass burial. It said in a statement that the incident occurred when the fuel tanker collided with a trailer truck loaded with travelers and cattle from Wudil in Kano state and was heading to Lagos, Nigeria.

The absence of a widespread and reliable rail network to transport cargo in Nigeria means fatal accidents among transport trucks are common along the highways in Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa, officials said. They often also carry dozens of human passengers, but can also carry fuel.

In 2020, 1,531 gasoline tanker crashes killed 535 people and injured 1,142 more, according to Nigeria's Federal Road Safety Corps .