[Mhiz Rebecca]

A petrol tanker skidded off the road and exploded in central
Nigeria, killing at least 14 people on Friday, witnesses told
AFP.
They said eight houses were razed following the accident
which happened around 8:00 am (0700GMT) in the transit
town of Tegina in Niger state.
“We buried 14 people including a six-month-old baby who died
in the tanker explosion this morning,” said Muhammad Sani
who took part in the rescue operation.
Eight more victims were taken to hospital with burns, two of
them in “very critical condition” while eight homes were burnt
in the inferno, said another resident Abdullahi Egiworo.
A spokesman for Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the state
confirmed the accident, but refused to give casualty figures.
“We received reports of an accident involving a petrol tanker
in Tegina this morning but we are still awaiting details,” Bitrus
Max told AFP.
He said emergency officials were heading to the scene to assist
in the evacuation of victims.
Accidents involving petrol tankers happen frequently on
Nigeria’s poorly maintained roads because of speeding and
disregard for traffic rules.
Last month, three people were killed when a petrol tanker
collided with a trailer and exploded on a road linking Nigeria’s
commercial hub of Lagos with the rest of the country.