The explosion occurred early Saturday morning near Suleja district in Niger state after an attempt was made to use a generator to transfer gasoline from a tanker to another truck, according to the Associated Press.
Hussaini Isa, head of the National Emergency Management Agency, told The Associated Press that the transfer of fuel caused an explosion, killing those transferring the gasoline and bystanders.
Aisa said search and rescue operations were underway.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, does not have an efficient rail system to transport cargo, resulting in frequent fatal truck accidents on most major roads.
In September, a petrol tanker collided with another truck transporting cattle in Niger state, causing an explosion that killed at least 48 people.
According to the Federal Road Safety Corps of Nigeria, there were 1,531 petrol tanker accidents in 2020, resulting in 535 deaths and 1,142 injuries.
MNA