Gas tanker truck fire kills more than 100 people in Nigeria

The Christmas Eve disaster reportedly began at 11am when a fire ignited as a commercial truck was discharging its contents at the Inter Corp Oil Ltd gas plant.

Nnewi, Anambra State’s industrial city, was yesterday thrown into mourning following a gas explosion in a factory that left six people dead and others injured.

However, a Red Cross official, who did not want to be named, said the explosion killed about six persons on the spot.

He said the fire raged for hours.

Fire-fighters, road safety workers and paramedics were immediately dispatched to the scene to prevent further damage and help the victims.

The police said the dead were customers and no employee of the firm died.

“The fire exploded like a bomb, and the whole gas station went up in thick, black smoke amidst an explosion from cooking gas cylinders”, he said.

Some of the victims are said to be responding to treatment at the Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital in the ancient town.

When the fire fighters from Awka and Okpoko finally arrived, it took the intervention of the security agents to save them from being lynched by the angry mob who questioned why Nnewi fire service was not functional.