Taking Risks Due to Soaring Fuel Prices
Poor Road Conditions Lead to Repeated Accidents
In Nigeria, Africa, at least 29 residents were killed and 42 injured when a fuel truck carrying gasoline overturned and exploded as people gathered to collect the spilled fuel. On October 22, Yonhap News, citing foreign media outlets such as the Associated Press, reported that a fuel truck carrying gasoline skidded and overturned while driving in Bida, Niger State, in north-central Nigeria. The leaked gasoline caught fire, resulting in an explosion.
This accident began when a fuel truck driving on the highway in this area overturned due to a road defect. Following the rollover accident, the fuel carried by the truck leaked, and residents who discovered this flocked to the scene to collect the fuel. X (Ex)
This accident began when a fuel truck driving on the highway in this area overturned due to a road defect. Following the rollover, the fuel carried by the truck leaked, and residents who discovered this flocked to the scene to collect the fuel. In this situation, the overturned truck exploded, causing dozens of residents gathered nearby to be killed or injured. Rescue authorities were immediately dispatched to the scene and transported the injured to nearby hospitals, but the death toll continues to rise. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) of Nigeria stated that at least 35 people were killed and 42 injured in this accident. Some of the injured were taken to nearby hospitals.
This is not the first time an overturned fuel truck has exploded in Nigeria, resulting in the deaths of residents attempting to collect the spilled fuel. In January of this year, a similar accident involving a gasoline-carrying truck in Niger State resulted in 98 deaths. In October last year, a similar incident occurred in Jigawa State in the north, resulting in the deaths of more than 200 people and injuries to over 100 others.
Poor Road Conditions and Severe Energy Shortages Exacerbate Casualties
Poor road conditions in Nigeria are cited as a fundamental cause of these fuel truck rollover and explosion accidents and the resulting casualties. Roads in Niger State, which serves as a hub for the transportation of various goods nationwide due to its central location, as well as in other states, are not properly maintained, leading to frequent truck rollovers and collisions. There are also no railways in these regions to serve as alternatives to highways, resulting in high dependence on trucks and, consequently, a greater risk of accidents.
Dozens of residents gathered nearby were killed or injured when the overturned truck exploded. X (Ex)
Severe energy shortages are also seen as a factor that has increased the number of casualties. President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria abolished the fuel subsidy system immediately after taking office in May 2023. As fuel prices soared, it became increasingly common for residents to rush to accident sites to collect gasoline from overturned trucks. Due to government policies such as the discontinuation of fuel subsidies and the resulting surge in fuel prices, residents are left with no other choice but to collect spilled fuel whenever a truck overturns.
Umaru Bago, Governor of Niger State, said, "It is heartbreaking to see residents risking their lives to collect gasoline after the vehicle overturned. This accident is yet another painful and tragic event for both the residents and the state government." The police have dispatched rescue personnel to the scene and are investigating the exact cause of the accident.
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