48 die in fuel tanker accident in Nigeria

At least 48 people have been killed in the central Nigerian state of Niger, after a fuel tanker collided with a lorry carrying passengers and cattle, the BBC writes, referring to the country’s disaster agency.

The Niger State Emergency Management Agency said the collision happened at about 12:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, and caused an explosion which engulfed both vehicles.

Director-general of the agency, Abdullahi Baba-arah, said response teams were dispatched to the scene to manage the situation.

A number of other vehicles were also caught up in the explosion.