Lawan Shi'isu, police spokesperson in Jigawa State, where the tragedy happened on Tuesday, told the media that the tanker spilled fuel after it veered off the road to avoid a collision with a truck in Majia town, and a crowd jostled to scoop it.
He said the residents "overwhelmed" officers trying to stop them from going near the accident site to scoop petrol. It exploded, killing 147 and leaving another 50 injured.
In Nigeria, incidents of oil tankers spilling fuel and exploding into balls of fire are common. Roads are the only means of transporting fuel in the country, as rail transport is unreliable and the pipeline is inadequate and just as dangerous.
This has come at a cost, especially for the poor, who can hardly afford fuel at the pump stations.
Some of the past fire accidents have been deadlier than Tuesday’s.
In this screen grab taken from a social media video released on October 16, 2024, smoke rises from a large fire after a fuel tanker crashed and exploded in Majia, Jigawa State, Nigeria.
Photo credit: Social media via Reuters
In 1998, about 1,000 people were burnt to death and many more seriously injured when a pipeline leak turned into a ball of fire. Many were burnt beyond recognition and had to be buried in mass graves.
Villagers thronged the location of the leakage at Jesse in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta to scoop petrol when the pipeline exploded.
The police always struggle to keep the crowds at bay and requires truckers to display large signs warning of danger when carrying flammable objects.
Sixteen years after Jesse, another 250 people died in an explosion while scooping petrol in Alepo in Alimosho local government area of Lagos.
According to Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), there has been at least 390 tanker accidents in 2024 alone.
People cover the graves of recently buried victims of a fuel tanker explosion in Majia, Jigawa State, Nigeria on October 16, 2024.
Photo credit: Reuters
Two days before the Jigawa tragedy, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Heineken Lokpobri hosted a delegation from the FRSC, led by the Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed, in Abuja and urged them to take proactive measures in certifying tanker drivers to ensure sanity on the road.
“Our intention at this particular time is to collaborate with you so that you can intensify your efforts to ensure that only tankers or trucks that are certified as roadworthy are allowed to carry these products to different parts of the country, and to certify the drivers. You may buy a brand-new truck, and then the driver goes and crashes it,” the minister said.
“Petroleum products ought to be transported through pipelines to nearer locations where people can come, take, and then transport them to the final destination. However, most of the pipelines have already outlived their lifespan, and it is very capital-intensive to replace them.”
He called on the FRSC to view compliance with existing global road safety standards.
Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed recommended erecting of safety bumps to minimise crashes.
Vice-President Kassim Shettima on Wednesday said there would be a comprehensive review of fuel transportation safety protocols.
"As we contend with this tragedy, let us also reflect on the importance of safety measures and public awareness to prevent such incidents in the future," he said.
