On Wednesday, de town of Majiya in Jigawa state dey mourn de death of over 140 people wey die after a gasoline tanker explode. De accident happen around midnight when de tanker driver lose control of de vehicle while traveling on a highway, according to police spokesperson Lawan Adam.
Residents of Majiya rush to de scene to scoop up fuel pouring from de overturned tanker, but dis spark a massive inferno. Many of de bodies were burn beyond recognition, and emergency services say dem hold a mass burial for de victims.
Nura Abdullahi, head of de National Emergency Management Agency in de region, tell Associated Press say close to 140 people were put in a mass grave apart from those buried in other places. De injured victims were taken to nearby hospitals, including Ringim General Hospital, for treatment.
De practice of salvaging fuel from accident scenes has become more common due to soaring fuel prices, which have tripled since de government end costly gas subsidies last year. Former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu have expressed their condolences and directed emergency aid to be provided to those affected.
De incident highlight de challenges Nigeria face with poor road infrastructure and lack of strict enforcement of traffic regulations, which contribute to frequent deadly tanker accidents in de country.
