Sat 06 November 2021:
At least 91 people were killed after a fuel truck collided with a lorry in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown.
Fuel leaked before igniting, engulfing bystanders and vehicles at a busy intersection.
The government has yet to confirm the death toll, but the manager of the central state mortuary in Freetown said 91 bodies were brought in after the explosion on Friday.
#BREAKING 🔴 : Au moins 91 personnes ont été tuées hier soir dans l’explosion d’un camion citerne dans l’est de Freetown, capitale de la Sierra Leone. Des dizaines de personnes sont également blessées.pic.twitter.com/0LP1ZSWLcC
— Neurone Intelligence (@NeuroneIntel) November 6, 2021
Victims included those who had gathered to collect petrol seeping from the damaged car, according to Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, mayor of the port city, in a Facebook post.
“We’ve got so many casualties, burnt corpses,” said Brima Bureh Sesay, head of the National Disaster Management Agency, in a video from the scene shared online.
“It’s a terrible, terrible accident.”
Another road accident in #SierraLeone. Almost without fail these incidents involve poorly maintained, over-laden, vans & lorries. Yet our road safety authorities appear obsessed with whether the SUVs carrying our middle classes are equipped with warning triangles. Why, I wonder? pic.twitter.com/WlUzvA6zXZ
— Sheka Forna (@tonkolili) November 6, 2021
Several badly burned victims lay on the streets of Freetown on Friday as fire raged through surrounding shops and buildings, according to social media photographs media unable to independently authenticate the clips.
President Julius Maada Bio said he was “deeply disturbed by the tragic fires and the horrendous loss of life”.
In a tweet, he said his government would do “everything to support the affected families”.
Deeply disturbed by the tragic fires and the horrendous loss of life around the Wellington PMB area. My profound sympathies with families who have lost loved ones and those who have been maimed as a result. My Government will do everything to support affected families. pic.twitter.com/xJRA1UtCJJ
— President Julius Maada Bio (@PresidentBio) November 6, 2021
Motorbike-taxi riders nearby started collecting the leaking fuel, causing a traffic jam. Shortly after, there was an explosion.
The fireballs spread into the surrounding area and onto the vehicles caught in the traffic.
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