Nigeria: Petrol tanker explosion kills 14; destroys 8 houses

Kano: In a tragic incident, a petrol tanker slipped off the road and exploded in central Nigeria on Friday, causing 14 deaths, reported international media sources.

The sources informed that the blast was so huge that it destroyed eight houses. The explosion occurred around 8 am, according to local time, in the transit town of Tegina in Niger state.

According to a member of the rescue operation team, among the 14 deceased in the tanker explosion, there was also a 14-month-old baby.

Eight more were taken to the nearby hospitals due to burn injuries. The sources said that two of the injured were in very critical condition.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) spokesperson confirmed the news of tanker explosion but was unable to disclose the death toll in the tragedy.

"We got reports of a tragic accident involving a tanker carrying petrol in Tegina on Friday morning but we don’t have any further updates in this regard," said Bitrus Max.

Petrol tanker accidents happen quite often in Nigeria due to poor quality roads and disregard of traffic rules.

In November 2016, three people lost their lives in a petrol tanker and a trailer collision in which the tanker exploded on a road that links Nigeria's commercial hub of Lagos with the entire country.