Nigerian fuel tanker fire kills 95

Not of national interest and thus not LBN. Unusually horrendous anyway.

Nigerian fuel tanker fire kills 95

Nigerian fuel tanker fire kills 95
At least 18 people injured
The Associated Press Posted: Jul 12, 2012 9:27 AM ET
Last Updated: Jul 12, 2012 10:59 AM ET

A tanker truck caught fire and exploded in Nigeria on Thursday shortly after breaking down, killing at least 95 people who then rushed to the scene to scoop fuel, an official said.
....

Yushau Shuaib, a spokesman for the West African country's emergency management agency, said the 95 people were killed in the explosion as they ran to the truck to take fuel.

The truck accident took place near Okogbe town in the Niger Delta — a region of swamps, mangroves and creeks roughly the same size as South Carolina. The cause was not immediately known, although fatal crashes are common in Nigeria where decades-old roads are normally pitted with potholes and drivers frequently fail to observe traffic laws. Moreover, corruption often hinders or slows down road maintenance projects.