At least 48 people were killed when a tanker collided with a truck carrying passengers and cattle in Nigeria’s central Niger state, Nigeria’s disaster relief agency said.
Niger’s National Emergency Management Agency said the collision occurred at about 00:30 local time (01:30 GMT) on Sunday and triggered an explosion that engulfed both vehicles.
The agency’s director-general, Abdullahi Baba-arah, said a response team was dispatched to the scene to deal with the situation.
Many other vehicles were also caught in the explosion.
Video taken from the scene shortly after the incident showed two vehicles completely burnt out, along with a number of dead cattle.
After the accident, an emergency worker told Reuters they were working to recover the carcasses as well as the carcasses of animals still inside the vehicle.
According to state media reports, mass burials are being held for the victims.
In a message of condolences to the families of the victims, Governor Umaru Bago said he was “pained by this unfortunate incident”.
Tanker explosions and accidents are common in Nigeria, partly due to poor road conditions.
