Over 40 people have been reported dead following a fuel tanker explosion after it crashed in the central part of Liberia on Tuesday, December 26, 2023.
Liberia’s chief medical officer, Francis Kateh, had confirmed this unfortunate incident.
According to eyewitnesses, the tanker overturned along a road in Totota town, about 130km (80 miles) from the capital, Monrovia, and burst into flames soon after people rushed to the site to scoop fuel from the tanker.
He confirmed to a local broadcaster, Super Bongese TV, that more than 83 people had been admitted to the hospital for their injuries, and others were dead, including a pregnant woman.
Video footage shows that a large number of people, including children, had gathered around the tanker after it overturned with buckets and items they could use to fetch the fuel before it went up in flames.
Liberia’s President George Weah has expressed his condolences to the families of the dead, saying he found images of the tragedy “deeply disturbing,” his office says.
