NIGERIA - The death toll from a petrol tanker explosion in central Nigeria's Niger state has risen to 39 from 29, with dozens more injured, the rescue agency said Wednesday.
"There are now 39 dead and 60 injured," Hussaini Isah, head of the state emergency agency told AFP. "People went to scoop up the fuel. The truck exploded and they got burnt," he said. The latest in a series of similar accidents occurred on Tuesday on the road linking Bida and Agaie, in the Katcha district. Tanker truck accidents are common in Nigeria, where roads are poorly maintained and are often caused by speeding and disregarding traffic laws. Economic hardship often forces some residents to risk their lives to siphon fuel during such accidents. (Bssnews)