Over 140 killed in Nigeria as overturned fuel tanker explodes
Jigawa, Nigeria: In an incident reported from Majiya town, Jigawa State, on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, over 140 people, including children, lost their lives after a fuel tanker overturned and exploded. The incident occurred as residents rushed to collect fuel leaking from the truck before it erupted in flames. Dozens more sustained severe injuries, with many victims burned beyond recognition, according to emergency officials.
The tanker accident, one of many such incidents in Nigeria, highlights the dangerous reality faced by residents grappling with rising fuel prices and poor infrastructure. Desperate to gather fuel, locals took a fatal risk as they approached the overturned tanker. Since the Nigerian government ended fuel subsidies last year, the cost of fuel has tripled, pushing many into situations where scavenging becomes a dangerous necessity.
The explosion occurred shortly after midnight when the tanker’s driver lost control of the vehicle on a highway, police spokesperson Lawan Adam said. The subsequent fire spread quickly, trapping several people at the scene. "People were running in all directions, screaming for help," recounted Sani Umar, a resident who witnessed the disaster, speaking to local Channels Television.
Emergency response teams arrived at the scene but were met with a grim aftermath. Nura Abdullahi, the regional head of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), reported that nearly 140 victims were buried in a mass grave due to the extent of the burns, while others were interred separately. Many victims were unidentifiable because of the severity of the burns.
Dr. Haruna Mairiga, head of Jigawa emergency services, expressed sorrow over the tragic loss of life. "If they had known the danger, they wouldn’t have gone to fetch the fuel," he said, adding that most victims died instantly as the fire quickly engulfed the area.
Fuel tanker explosions are not uncommon in Nigeria. According to Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps, over 1,500 such accidents were recorded in 2020, leading to 535 deaths. Experts blame weak enforcement of traffic and safety regulations, along with poorly maintained fuel tankers that are prone to spillage during accidents.
Timothy Iwuagwu, president of the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria, criticized the country's lack of public safety awareness and enforcement. “There are not enough awareness campaigns, and compliance with safety measures is often ignored,” Iwuagwu said, calling for stronger action to prevent further tragedies.
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Bondi Beach shooting suspect conducted firearms training with his father, Australian police say
Melbourne (AP): A man accused of killing 15 people at Sydney's Bondi Beach conducted firearms training in an area of New South Wales state outside of Sydney with his father, Australian police documents released on Monday allege.
The men recorded a video about their justification for the meticulously planned attack, according to a police statement of facts that was made public following Naveed Akram's video court appearance Monday from a Sydney hospital where he has been treated for an abdominal injury.
Officers wounded Akram at the scene of the Dec. 14 shooting and killed his father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram.
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The New South Wales state government confirmed Naveed Akram was transferred on Monday from a hospital to a prison. Neither facility was identified by authorities.
The statement alleges the 24-year-old and his father began their attack by throwing four improvised explosive devices toward a crowd celebrating an annual Jewish event at Bondi Beach, but the devices failed to explode.
Police described the devices as three aluminium pipe bombs and a tennis ball bomb containing an explosive, black powder and steel ball bearings. None detonated, but police described them as “viable” IEDs.
Authorities have charged Akram with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of causing harm with intent to murder in relation to the wounded survivors and one count of committing a terrorist act.
The antisemitic attack at the start of the eight-day Hanukkah celebration was Australia's worst mass shooting since a lone gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania state in 1996.
The New South Wales government introduced draft laws to Parliament on Monday that Premier Chris Minns said would become the toughest in Australia.
The new restrictions would include making Australian citizenship a condition of qualifying for a firearms license. That would have excluded Sajid Akram, who was an Indian citizen with a permanent resident visa.
Sajid Akram also legally owned six rifles and shotguns. A new legal limit for recreational shooters would be a maximum of four guns.
Police said a video found on Naveed Akram's phone shows him with his father "reciting their political and religious views and appear to summarise their justification for the Bondi terrorist attack.”
The men are seen in the video “condemning the acts of Zionists” while they also “adhere to a religiously motivated ideology linked to the Islamic State,” police said.
Video shot in October shows them “firing shotguns and moving in a tactical manner” on grassland surrounded by trees, police said.
“There is evidence that the Accused and his father meticulously planned this terrorist attack for many months,” police allege.
