Death Toll in Fiery Nigerian Tanker Explosion Mounts to 153

  • Crashed fuel tanker exploded while people were scooping fuel
  • Number of injured now over 100 in the resulting fire
The remains of a fuel tanker in Majiya, Nigeria, on Oct. 16.Photographer: Aminu Abubakar/AFP/Getty Images
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Nigerian police said the death toll from an explosion involving a gasoline tanker in the country’s north has now increased to 153.

Police spokesman Lawan Adam said 100 people had also been hospitalized after the tanker caught fire following a traffic accident, as people swarmed around it to collect escaping gasoline. The accident happened on Tuesday in Majiya, a town in Jigawa state 540 kilometers (338 miles) north of the capital, Abuja.