Residents of a nearby town came to scoop up the spilled gasoline, but then the tanker exploded, setting off an inferno — an echo of several similar disasters in recent years.

A fuel tanker overturned late on Tuesday in Nigeria's northern state of Jigawa after the driver lost control of the vehicle, spilling petrol which exploded and killed at least 147 people, police and state emergency services said on Wednesday.

Dozens of people in northern Nigeria were killed in a massive explosion as they tried to scoop up fuel from a crashed tanker truck.

The driver of the tanker lost control of the vehicle, which tipped over in Nigeria’s Jigawa state. As locals rushed to retrieve the fuel, the tank exploded.

A fuel tanker exploded overnight in northern Nigeria as it was surrounded by a crowd of people who had rushed to the scene of an accident to collect leaking petrol. At least 94 people were burnt to death as fire engulfed the overturned vehicle, which had crashed, the police told the BBC.

More than 90 people are killed and 50 injured after a gasoline tanker explodes in Nigeria, police say. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events

Nigerian police said that more than 100 people died and scores were injured after a tanker involved in a traffic accident exploded as people swarmed around it to collect escaping gasoline.