Over 100 people have died after a massive explosion when a fuel tanker collided with a lorry in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown.
The fuel spilled before igniting and the resulting inferno engulfed nearby standers and vehicles at a busy junction. Many bodies were found burnt and lifeless
President of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio said he was “deeply disturbed by the tragic fires and the horrendous loss of life”.
In a tweet, he said his government would do “everything to compensate the affected families”.
Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr described seeing “harrowing” photos and said there were “rumours that more than 100 people have lost their lives”.
The state-run morgue is reported to have received more than 90 bodies and some 100 people are being treated in hospitals and health centres around Freetown.
The explosion is believed to have happened at a junction outside the busy Choithram Supermarket in the densely populated Wellington suburb in the east of the city at around 22:00 GMT on Friday.
Report said a bus full of people was completely burnt, while nearby shops and market stalls were caught up in the flames.
At the scene of the accident, there are body parts still lying in burnt vehicles. Also here are what’s left of the petrol tanker and the truck that rammed into it.
Motorbike-taxi riders nearby started collecting the leaking fuel, causing a traffic jam. Shortly after, there was an explosion.
The fireballs spread into the surrounding area and onto the vehicles caught in the traffic.
The authorities say most of the dead have now been received at the central morgue in Freetown, with the critically injured admitted to hospitals across the city. The army, police and fire force are all at the scene.
Source: vanguard
