Nigerian oil tanker explosion kills 147..."Trying to pump fuel into economic difficulties"

"Even an oil tanker exploded in a crowded state while trying to pump fuel"

Local authorities, large cemeteries around town..."Sentiment of tragedy"

Africa's largest oil producer..."Fuel costs tripled due to economic difficulties"

People flock to get rid of fuel even at risk of major accidents.

[Anchor]
At least 147 people were killed when an accidentally overturned tanker exploded in northern Nigeria.

The severe economic crisis led to a major disaster as people flocked to pump fuel from the accident.

Reporter Jeong Yu-shin's report.

[Reporter]
There is a long dark red fire on the road in the middle of the night.

At around midnight local time on the 15th, a tanker overturned on a road in the Taura region of Jigawa State in northern Nigeria.

After the overturned oil tanker exploded, the fire spread greatly, and about 140 residents were killed.

[Garba Sarkinyaki / Victim's family: A tanker exploded when people crowded around midnight. The fire continued without stopping until 3 a.m.]

Local police say the explosion caused heavy casualties as crowds gathered to pump fuel from the overturned tanker.

The fire was so strong that most of the dead were hard to recognize.

Local authorities built a large cemetery around the village for funerals.

Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer, but it relies on imports for most of its petroleum products due to a lack of refineries.

In particular, the difficulty has grown as gasoline prices have tripled since the government abolished fuel subsidies last year.

That's why people are risking their lives to pump fuel.

[Raymond Nabouin / Nigerian businessman] I think we don't know what disadvantages there will be. It's seen as an opportunity to steal fuel and make money in economic difficulties.]

Due to poor transportation infrastructure such as railroads amid long-term economic difficulties, oil tanker-related accidents are leading to major disasters.

In 2012, more than a hundred people were killed in an oil tanker explosion, and more than 40 people were killed recently when an oil tanker collided with a livestock transport truck.

This is YTN Jeong Yu-shin.


Video editing: Lim Hyun-chul
Design: Kim Hyo-jin