Mlipuko wa moto ulivyoua zaidi ya watu 100 Nigeria

A petrol tanker crashed, caught fire and exploded in Nigeria yesterday, killing more than 100 people who had rushed to the scene to scoop up fuel that had spilled.

At least 50 others were injured in the incident in the southern Niger Delta region.

Witnesses said some charred corpses were still lying in the area hours after the explosion, including bodies the size of children.

 A petrol tanker crashed, caught fire and exploded in the southern Niger Delta region of Nigeria yesterday, killing more than 100 people who had rushed to the scene to scoop up fuel that had spilled

Rescue workers begin the grim task of clearing away dozens of bodies

Most of the bodies are so badly burned that identification may prove impossible without dental records

The victims had been scooping up spilled petrol after the tanker crashed when it caught on fire

 Crowds of onlookers stare in disbelief at the carnage in front of them

People stand near burnt roofing sheets after the tanker overturned and exploded. At least 50 others were injured in the incident.

President Goodluck Jonathan said in a statement he is 'deeply saddened by the loss of many lives' caused by the explosion and 'particularly distraught by the fact that once again, so many Nigerian lives have been lost in an avoidable fuel fire disaster'. 

A photographer who was at the scene said that the accident occurred on a major East-West highway that was being expanded.

Construction workers, however, hadn't yet reached the level where the accident occurred which remained a single lane, often forcing vehicles racing head-on to seek avoiding each other. 

Mr Alagoa said the accident 'would not have happened' if the road had two lanes there. 

At least two contracts have been signed over the last six years to expand the highway that runs through Niger Delta states, according to a government website. 

However, corruption often hinders or slows down road construction and maintenance projects. 

Accidents are also common on Nigeria's poorly maintained roads. Drivers often travel at high speed and overtake slower vehicles, leading to head-on collisions with high death rates. 

'This tells a tragic story about the state of national infrastructure and the poverty of the people,' said Nnimmo Bassey, executive director of Environmental Rights Action.

The location of some of the bodies suggested that the victims were trying to run away when fire consumed them

Rescue workers place the charred bodies of the victims of a fire into a bulldozer scoop for mass burial

Some women wailed at the scene of the explosion, desperately looking for their relatives

The accident occurred on a major East-West highway that is in the process of being expanded

Daily Mail