At least 48 people have died in Nigeria’s central state of Niger after a fuel truck collided with a lorry carrying passengers and livestock, the country’s disaster agency said.
According to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, the collision occurred at around 12:30 a.m. local time (01:30 GMT) on Sunday, causing an explosion that destroyed both vehicles.
The agency’s director-general, Abdullahi Baba-arah, said response teams had been sent to the scene of the accident to bring the situation under control.
A number of other vehicles were also involved in the explosion.
Images taken at the scene shortly after the incident show the two vehicles completely burned out, as well as a number of dead cows.
An emergency worker told Reuters after the incident that they were working to recover the bodies and dead animals still in the vehicle.
According to state media, a mass funeral is taking place for the victims.
Governor Umaru Bago said in a condolence message to the families of the victims that he was “pained by the unfortunate incident”.
Explosions and accidents involving fuel tankers are common in Nigeria, partly due to the poor condition of the roads.
