Sun Jan 26 11:23:31 UTC 2025: ## Nigeria Tanker Explosion Kills 18, Highlights Dangerous Fuel Practices
**ABUJA, Nigeria (January 26, 2025)** – At least 18 people died and 10 were injured in a gasoline tanker explosion on the Enugu-Onitsha expressway in southeastern Nigeria on Saturday. The tanker, carrying gasoline, lost control, colliding with 17 vehicles before catching fire. According to Olusegun Ogungbemide, spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps rescue teams, the victims were “burnt beyond recognition.” Three others were rescued unharmed.
The accident highlights the frequent occurrence of fatal truck accidents in Nigeria due to the lack of an efficient railway system for cargo transport. This incident follows a similar tragedy earlier this month in which 98 people died in a gasoline tanker blast near Suleja, Niger state, after individuals attempted to siphon fuel from a crashed tanker.
Following the Suleja incident, authorities launched a nationwide campaign to discourage the dangerous practice of scooping gasoline from wrecked tankers. Lanre Issa-Onilu, director-general of the National Orientation Agency, emphasized that such accidents are preventable.
The high cost of gasoline, resulting from the government’s removal of fuel subsidies over a year ago, has exacerbated the problem, as people resort to dangerous methods to obtain fuel at lower costs. The policy, aimed at redirecting resources to development, has imposed significant hardship on Nigerians.
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