This archive report was first published on 10 August 2019.
On Saturday morning, a devastating fuel tanker explosion in Morogoro, Tanzania, claimed the lives of 60 people and left 70 seriously injured.
The tragedy occurred when a fuel tanker burst into flames after overturning near Msamvu Bus Station in Morogoro town, approximately 200 meters from the station.
Motorcyclists and food vendors who rushed to the scene to collect leaking fuel were among the victims, with some witnesses reporting that one of the people who went to scramble for the fuel had been smoking a cigarette.
According to Morogoro Regional Police Commander Wilbroad Mutafungwa, the number of casualties is confirmed.
Personnel from the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF) and the fire brigade responded to the incident, taking the bodies to the mortuary at Morogoro Regional Hospital.
As reported by Morogoro Regional Commissioner Steven Kwebwe, the fuel spilled about 100 meters along the road, stating, 'This has never happened in Morogoro town.'
Tragically, tanker fires have become a common occurrence on the continent, with many people risking their lives to scoop up free fuel.
Notably, a similar incident occurred in January 2009, when an overturned tanker exploded near Sachang'wan in today's Nakuru County in Kenya.
