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LAGOS, Oct 22, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The death toll from a petrol tanker explosion in central Nigeria's Niger state has risen to 39 from 29, with dozens more injured, the rescue agency said Wednesday.

"There are now 39 dead and 60 injured," Hussaini Isah, head of the state emergency agency told AFP.

"People went to scoop up the fuel. The truck exploded and they got burnt," he said.

The latest in a series of similar accidents occurred on Tuesday on the road linking Bida and Agaie, in the Katcha district.

Tanker truck accidents are common in Nigeria, where roads are poorly maintained and are often caused by speeding and disregarding traffic laws.

Economic hardship often forces some residents to risk their lives to siphon fuel during such accidents.

To revive the economy, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu ended fuel subsidies and currency controls upon taking office in May 2023.

The changes triggered a cost-of-living crisis in Africa's most populous country, leading people to take major risks to procure petrol.

In January, at least 98 people died after gathering to collect fuel following a tanker truck crash in Niger State.

After that incident, Tinubu ordered a national campaign to raise public awareness of the risks and environmental hazards posed by collecting fuel from fallen tankers.