Audio By Carbonatix
A road tanker carrying petroleum products exploded in southern Nigeria on Wednesday killing at least 20 people.
The incident occurred at a major intersection of the highway linking the states of Edo and Delta.
Fatal accidents are frequent on Nigeria's poorly maintained road network.
Witnesses say many of the victims were caught up in the fire while trying to scoop petrol from the tanker which had crashed.
The fire quickly spread to some other vehicles on the highway.
A Delta state government spokesman told the BBC that the road tanker had tried to navigate a bad spot on the highway when its driver lost control.
It overturned and its content poured onto the surrounding ditches and potholes. It was while the people were scooping petrol that the explosion occurred.
Three weeks ago some 35 people were killed in northern Benue state when a road tanker exploded near their village.
A similar incident in 2012 in the south-western city of Port Harcourt killed at least 92 people including women and children who tried to scoop fuel from an overturned tanker.
Latest Stories
-
Speaker’s surprise about Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill passage vindicates Minority’s concerns – Ntim Fordjour
15 minutes -
US to drastically slash the number of embassies in Africa that can process visas
15 minutes -
Qwasi Blay returns home to collaborate with Kyekyeku on new film project
22 minutes -
No room for laundering: Subin-Akwaboso Bank CEO plots rise to the top
40 minutes -
Inusah Fuseini defends NDC Council of Elders’ intervention to safeguard party unity
1 hour -
Reimagining ECOWAS leadership for a fragmented and uncertain West Africa
1 hour -
Bank of Ghana considering sale of new $260M Headquarters – Sources
1 hour -
World Hunger Day: ‘The end of hunger is in our own hands’
2 hours -
Pupils sent home as teachers’ strike disrupts learning in 80 Tarkwa schools
2 hours -
There are no divisions in NDC – Godwin Ako Gunn
2 hours -
What Is Wrong with Us: Why we keep chasing payslips while ignoring the payrolls that create them
2 hours -
Patoranking teams up with Ruger for new afro-dancehall single ‘Shake That’
2 hours -
Africa’s climate negotiators put health at the centre of climate action ahead of Bonn talks
2 hours -
Mahama’s involvement in Council of Elders’ directive signals concern over NDC divisions – Haruna Mohammed
2 hours -
Barekese youth threaten dump site blockade over alleged denial of 24-hour market
2 hours