FREETOWN: At least 99 people were killed and more than 100 injured in the capital of Sierra Leone late on Friday when a fuel tanker exploded following a collision, local authorities said.

Fuel still appeared to be leaking from the wrecked tanker on Saturday morning as police and soldiers tried to clear large crowds of onlookers from the street, according to a reporter.

A burnt human body and the blackened shells of several cars and motorbikes dotted the road in the eastern Freetown suburb of Wellington, where hundreds had gathered.

The death toll stood at 99 with more than 100 casualties being treated in hospitals and clinics across the capital, deputy health minister Amara Jambai said.

The majority of the victims were street vendors and motorcyclists, many of whom were caught in the blaze while trying to retrieve fuel, according to volunteer worker Jusu Jacka Yorma who was at the scene.

Hundreds of people gathered on Saturday morning, many searching for missing relatives under the eye of security forces.

Victims included people who had flocked to collect fuel leaking from the ruptured vehicle, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, mayor of the port city, said initially in a post on Facebook that was later edited to remove the reference.

The mayor said she was “deeply saddened” to hear about the explosion.

“The video and photo footage making rounds on social media are harrowing,” she wrote on Facebook.

The mayor said the extent of the damage in Freetown was not yet clear. “The extent of damage to property is unknown.”

“My profound sympathies with families who have lost loved ones and those who have been maimed as a result,” President Julius Maada Bio tweeted.

“My Government will do everything to support affected families.”

Accidents involving petrol tankers have happened before in Sierra Leone, one of the poorest countries in the world. In other parts of Africa, similar incidents have also left many dead as people gather to collect leaking fuel.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2021