MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Sept 8 (Askume) – A tanker truck exploded after colliding with another car in north-central Nigeria on Sunday, killing at least 48 people, the state disaster management agency said.
The National Emergency Management Agency of north-central Niger said the fuel truck collided with a truck carrying passengers and cattle. Several other vehicles were also involved in the accident, the report said.
Agency spokesman Hussaini Ibrahim put the death toll at 48 and officials were still working to clear the crash site.
Nigeria’s state-owned utility company NNPC Ltd last week raised petrol prices by at least 39%, the second major increase in more than a year, but petrol shortages persist, forcing motorists to queue for hours in major cities across the country.