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Updated November 7th, 2021 at 09:44 IST

Sierra Leone: 98 killed, 30 more critically injured in oil tanker explosion in Wellington

At least 98 people were killed and 30 critically injured when an oil tanker exploded on Friday night near the capital of Sierra Leone in West Africa.

Reported by: Dipaneeta Das
Sierra Leone
IMAGE: AP | Image:self
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As many as 98 people were killed when an oil tanker exploded on Friday night near the capital of Sierra Leone in West Africa. Another 30 were critically injured after the tanker collided with another truck as it was pulling into a gas station. The accident took place late on Friday at a busy intersection in Wellington, east of the capital of Freetown, National Disaster Management Agency informed. The crowd had gathered to collect the leaking fuel when the oil tanker exploded killing almost a hundred in the vicinity, officials and witnesses told the AP.

Another 100 people injured with non-life-threatening injuries were taken to the hospital, an official told AP. The critically injured 30 victims, who were moved to Connaught Hospital were not expected to survive, the staff member in the intensive care unit, Foday Musa told ABC News. On Saturday, several victims whose clothes burned off in the fire that followed the explosion laid naked in the hospital waiting to be tended by nurses, ABC reported. Kins of those wounded and dead waited outside the hospital and mortuary waiting for updates on their loved ones. The situation has remained overwhelming for the hospital in the West African nation as it is still recovering from the shortage of healthcare professionals after the Ebola epidemic wiped off a population of doctors and nurses in the country.

"Giant fireball burning in the night sky"

After the collision, "both drivers came out of their vehicles and warned community residents to stay off the scene while trying to address a leakage emanating from the collision," the agency said, as per ABC. However, the impoverished population rushed to scoop as much fuel possible without fearing consequences, witnesses told the broadcaster. In no time the leaking fuel ignited and was followed by a massive explosion, the witnesses added.

The Associated Press described the fire and plumes of smoke and ashes as "giant fireball burning in the night sky." Ghastly videos surfaced on the internet which showed flames raging from the oil tanker and some survivors with severe burns crying out in pain, the AP said. President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio deplored the incident as a "horrendous loss of life." The president expressed his "profound sympathies" in a tweet posted from Glasgow, Scotland where he is currently attending the UN Climate Summit. Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh also visited two hospitals overnight and acknowledged the efforts of Sierra Leone's National Disaster Management Agency. He also took to Facebook and expressed grief over the "national tragedy."

With inputs from AP

Image: AP

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Published November 7th, 2021 at 09:44 IST

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