At Least 40 Die In Tragic Fuel Tanker Explosion In Liberia

No fewer than forty people have reportedly died in a tragic fuel tanker explosion that happened recently in Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia.

According to the country’s chief medical officer, Dr. Francis Kateh, a tanker truck carrying gasoline crashed and overturned into a ditch near Totota, approximately 130 kilometres away from the central of Monrovia.

Giving details of the incident, Kateh told local broadcaster Super Bongese TV that there is currently a challenge of accurately determining the exact number of casualties due to some victims being reduced to ashes.

However, he estimated that the death toll exceeded 40 in this unfortunate event, while some others sustained severe burns.

“We have our team going from home to home to check those that are missing,” he told AFP.

In another report, the Police authority in the country put the death toll at 15, noting that at least 30 people were injured as locals gathered at the scene.

“There were lots of people that got burned,” said the deputy inspector general for the Liberia National Police, Prince B. Mulbah.

Another police officer, Malvin Sackor, who reportedly spoke to the media, stated that following the collision, certain residents started collecting the escaping gas, which resulted in a devastating explosion from the tanker.

This unfortunate incident claimed the lives of some individuals and caused injuries to others.

Sackor further mentioned that the police were currently in the process of compiling the final count of casualties and wounded individuals.

An eyewitness from Totota, Aaron Massaquoi, told journalists that “People climbed all on top of the truck taking the gas, while some of them had irons hitting the tanker for it to burst for them to get gas.

“People were all around the truck and the driver of the truck told them that the gas that was spilling they could take that.

“He told them not to climb on top of the tanker and that they should stop hitting the tanker…. but some people were even using screwdrivers to put holes on the tank,” Massaquoi said.