Death toll rises above 140 in Nigeria fuel tanker explosion

Victims were retrieving fuel spilt from a truck in the country's north when it exploded

More than 140 people have been killed after a fuel tanker exploded in northern Nigeria, a spokesperson for the national emergency service told AFP on Wednesday.

The tragedy occurred in the town of Majiya in Jigawa State late on Tuesday after the driver of the lorry lost control on a motorway close to a university, police spokesman Lawan Adam said.

Many of the victims had approached the burning tanker to collect fuel spilt at the site. Nigerians often try to siphon fuel following accidents – prices are exorbitantly high after subsidies were scrapped last year.

Nigeria's Daily Post newspaper quoted the police spokesman as saying "mass casualties” were caused by people gathering at the scene despite a police warning to stay away. The spokesman said local officials held a mass burial for the victims.

Accidents involving tankers are common in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, where roads are often poorly maintained and there is no efficient railway system to transport cargo.