Nigerian oil tanker crash kills 70

A large truck drove into 12 buses in a crowded terminal in the city of Onitsha in Anambra State, setting off a large fire on Monday.

The driver of the oil tanker lost control and crashed into a crowded motor park. At the latest count 70 people have been confirmed dead while 29 people were in hospital with serious burns.

“Most people were burned beyond recognition,” said Emeka Kachi, vice-president of the local Red Cross. “We are transferring the corpses to a teaching hospital for DNA testing so that their relatives can identify them for a proper burial.”

Reports also said that Willy Obiano, the governor of the state was moved to tears at his visit to the scene of the incident which he described as unfortunate.

The accident came five days after the end of a strike by fuel marketers who halted distribution as part of a pay dispute with the outgoing government, which was replaced on Friday by an administration led by former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari.

While Nigeria is Africa’s biggest crude oil producer, neglected refineries mean it is almost wholly reliant on imports for the 40 million litres of gasoline it consumes each day.