July 12, 2012 – Nigeria tanker truck explosion

On this day in 2012 a tank truck in Okobie, Nigeria, fell into a ditch, spilled its petrol contents, and exploded nearly an hour later, killing upward of 100 people.The tanker truck crashed trying to avoid an impact with two cars and a bus which caused the driver to veer into a ditch. The accident resulted in and spilt fuel. Hundreds of locals rushed to the scene to take some of the spilled gasoline for their personal use.About 40 minutes after the accident the tanker exploded. The death toll was hit 121 and the injured was at least 75, although the actual number was likely higher as some were treated by relatives or at private clinics. Some 34 motorcycle taxis were destroyed because the drivers of the motorcycles, known as Okada in Nigeria, came to scoop up spilled fuel for their vehicles after learning of the accident and became victims of the explosion.