Fuel truck fire kills at least 50 in Benue State

File photo. Reuters

At least 50 people were killed in Benue State when fuel from a crashed truck that they were siphoning up caught fire, a spokesman for Benue State Governor said on Tuesday.

“A tanker loaded with fuel fell yesterday (Monday) and people were scooping its products when it caught fire, killing over 50 persons,” the spokesman said. Others were badly injured and taken to hospital.

Such incidents are relatively common in Nigeria, though rarely is the death toll so high. While fuel is cheap, many live in extreme poverty.

Last October, 60 people were killed when a spill at an oil pipeline in the southeast caught fire.