At least 86 people were killed and more injured in northern Nigeria on Saturday when a petrol tanker truck overturned, spilling fuel that exploded, the country's national emergency agency said.
The accident in Niger state follows a similar blast in Jigawa state last October that killed 147 people, one of the worst such tragedies in Nigeria.
"The injured have been transported to hospitals for treatment, while recovery efforts for the deceased are ongoing," the National Emergency Management Authority said in a statement.
A Reuters witness said residents and officials were digging graves with a view to bury the victims on Saturday night in accordance with Islamic rites. Niger is a largely Muslim state in Africa's most populous nation.
Earlier, Kumar Tsukwam, the Federal Road Safety Corps sector commander for Niger state, said most of the victims were impoverished local residents who had rushed to scoop up the spilled petrol after the truck overturned.
"Large crowd of people gathered to scoop fuel despite concerted efforts to stop them," Tsukwam said in a statement.
Tsukwam said firefighters had managed to put out the fire.
Car bombing kills 13 Pakistani soldiers near Afghan border, say sources
Radiation levels in Gulf remain normal, says UN nuclear watchdog
Rwanda, Congo sign peace deal in US to end fighting, attract investment
Trump victorious again as US Supreme Court wraps up its term
Poland's Duda arrives in Ukrainian capital Kyiv to meet Zelenskyy
