View all in Latest
Popular Topics
View all in Local
Popular Topics
View all in Politics
Popular Topics
View all in Opinion
Popular Topics
View all in Business
View all in Lifestyle
Popular Topics
View all in Sport
Popular Topics
View all in CWC19
View all in Video
View all in Cartoons
20°C / 22°C
  • Tue
  • 19°C
  • 6°C
  • Wed
  • 19°C
  • 5°C
  • Thu
  • 21°C
  • 3°C
  • Fri
  • 17°C
  • 3°C
  • Sat
  • 18°C
  • 4°C
  • Sun
  • 14°C
  • 0°C
  • Tue
  • 23°C
  • 10°C
  • Wed
  • 21°C
  • 10°C
  • Thu
  • 21°C
  • 9°C
  • Fri
  • 14°C
  • 10°C
  • Sat
  • 14°C
  • 8°C
  • Sun
  • 15°C
  • 7°C
  • Tue
  • 22°C
  • 7°C
  • Wed
  • 21°C
  • 6°C
  • Thu
  • 22°C
  • 3°C
  • Fri
  • 19°C
  • 5°C
  • Sat
  • 19°C
  • 7°C
  • Sun
  • 17°C
  • 4°C
  • Tue
  • 20°C
  • 3°C
  • Wed
  • 19°C
  • 2°C
  • Thu
  • 21°C
  • -1°C
  • Fri
  • 20°C
  • 2°C
  • Sat
  • 18°C
  • 2°C
  • Sun
  • 13°C
  • 0°C
  • Tue
  • 24°C
  • 15°C
  • Wed
  • 22°C
  • 14°C
  • Thu
  • 22°C
  • 13°C
  • Fri
  • 24°C
  • 14°C
  • Sat
  • 22°C
  • 15°C
  • Sun
  • 20°C
  • 13°C
  • Tue
  • 20°C
  • 10°C
  • Wed
  • 25°C
  • 16°C
  • Thu
  • 22°C
  • 15°C
  • Fri
  • 25°C
  • 13°C
  • Sat
  • 13°C
  • 10°C
  • Sun
  • 13°C
  • 9°C
  • Tue
  • 25°C
  • 10°C
  • Wed
  • 22°C
  • 11°C
  • Thu
  • 23°C
  • 11°C
  • Fri
  • 16°C
  • 7°C
  • Sat
  • 12°C
  • 3°C
  • Sun
  • 14°C
  • 1°C
  • Tue
  • 23°C
  • 12°C
  • Wed
  • 21°C
  • 13°C
  • Thu
  • 21°C
  • 13°C
  • Fri
  • 16°C
  • 9°C
  • Sat
  • 12°C
  • 7°C
  • Sun
  • 14°C
  • 7°C
  • Tue
  • 22°C
  • 7°C
  • Wed
  • 20°C
  • 6°C
  • Thu
  • 20°C
  • 3°C
  • Fri
  • 19°C
  • 5°C
  • Sat
  • 21°C
  • 6°C
  • Sun
  • 17°C
  • 5°C
  • Tue
  • 19°C
  • 3°C
  • Wed
  • 18°C
  • 3°C
  • Thu
  • 19°C
  • 1°C
  • Fri
  • 17°C
  • 2°C
  • Sat
  • 11°C
  • 1°C
  • Sun
  • 10°C
  • -2°C
  • Tue
  • 23°C
  • 5°C
  • Wed
  • 20°C
  • 5°C
  • Thu
  • 19°C
  • 3°C
  • Fri
  • 21°C
  • 6°C
  • Sat
  • 24°C
  • 6°C
  • Sun
  • 20°C
  • 5°C
  • Tue
  • 23°C
  • 9°C
  • Wed
  • 25°C
  • 17°C
  • Thu
  • 24°C
  • 14°C
  • Fri
  • 25°C
  • 10°C
  • Sat
  • 11°C
  • 7°C
  • Sun
  • 11°C
  • 5°C
Go

Tanker truck explosion kills 55 in Niger: ministry

Witnesses said people were trying to collect petrol leaking from the truck, which had overturned on railway tracks.

Passersby walk amid burned cars after an oil tanker exploded on a highway on June 28, 2018 in Lagos killing nine people in a huge blaze. Picture: AFP.
Passersby walk amid burned cars after an oil tanker exploded on a highway on June 28, 2018 in Lagos killing nine people in a huge blaze. Picture: AFP.
| 43 days ago

NIAMEY, Niger - Fifty-five people died in Niger's capital Niamey overnight when an overturned tanker truck exploded as crowds tried to collect spilt fuel, authorities and witnesses said on Monday.

The blast on the RN1 route near Niamey's international airport left the burnt truck's wreckage, motorbikes and debris scattered over the road. Nearby houses were also damaged by fire.

The toll from the explosion was 55 dead and 36 injured, an interior ministry spokesperson said.

"Motorbike riders and people were all around the truck when it exploded all of a sudden," a local trader said. "I saw at least 40 dead."

Witnesses said people were trying to collect petrol leaking from the truck, which had overturned on railway tracks, when the explosion happened.

"It just before midnight when 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," a college student told AFP.

Niger, a poor West African country, has been trying to stamp out fuel smuggling from neighbouring Nigeria.

Nigeria, a major oil producer, has seen similar deadly accidents and explosions in the past when people try to steal fuel from oil pipelines.

Timeline

More in Africa

Comments

EWN welcomes all comments that are constructive, contribute to discussions in a meaningful manner and take stories forward.

However, we will NOT condone the following:

- Racism (including offensive comments based on ethnicity and nationality)
- Sexism
- Homophobia
- Religious intolerance
- Cyber bullying
- Hate speech
- Derogatory language
- Comments inciting violence.

We ask that your comments remain relevant to the articles they appear on and do not include general banter or conversation as this dilutes the effectiveness of the comments section.

We strive to make the EWN community a safe and welcoming space for all.

EWN reserves the right to: 1) remove any comments that do not follow the above guidelines; and, 2) ban users who repeatedly infringe the rules.

Should you find any comments upsetting or offensive you can also flag them and we will assess it against our guidelines.

EWN is constantly reviewing its comments policy in order to create an environment conducive to constructive conversations.

comments powered by Disqus
COPYRIGHT 2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | Terms & Conditions | Privacy | PAIA