Lagos, Sept. 9, (dpa/GNA) – At least 48 people have died and more than 50 cattle were burnt to death in a collision between a fuel tanker and a van carrying passengers and livestock in Nigeria, the head of the local disaster control authority said on Sunday.
The explosion happened on a country road in the state of Niger, the authority said.
The victims, who were burnt beyond recognition, were given a mass burial near the site of the accident. It was initially unclear how many others were injured.
The governor of the state, Mohammed Umaru Bago, expressed his deep sorrow over the tragedy.
In the West African country of Nigeria, the continent’s most populous nation with more than 220 million residents, serious road accidents occur frequently.
According to experts, the main causes are reckless driving, poor road conditions and poorly maintained vehicles.