A fuel tanker explosion in Enugu State, Nigeria, has claimed 18 lives and left 13 others injured after a tanker lost control due to brake failure, colliding with a water tanker and involving 17 vehicles.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed that 31 people were affected, with 10 injured and three escaping unscathed, while the deceased were burnt beyond recognition.
This follows a similar explosion in Niger State last week that killed 98 people, bringing the one-week death toll from fuel tanker accidents to 116.
Amid rising fuel prices and economic hardship, some Nigerians risk their lives scooping fuel from accident scenes. Former officials, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, have called for an urgent investigation into the rising number of tanker explosions.
