Yesterday, 27 December, a tragic accident occurred in the African country of Liberia.
In the north-central region, a tanker truck carrying gasoline was involved in a car accident and overturned into a ditch on the side of the road in the town of Totota, about 130 kilometres from Monrovia, the capital of Liberia.
(Tank truck, schematic)
The tanker truck was lying on its side on the side of the road, and some gasoline was already leaking out of the tank.
(Overturned tank truck)
After hearing about the rollover accident, many people in the vicinity rushed to the scene, not to help deal with the accident, but to bring plastic buckets and other containers, hoping to take the opportunity to get some gasoline that didn't cost money.
(Nearby people rushed to get gasoline)
The truck driver told the men that they could pick up some of the oil that had leaked and take it away, but not to destroy the tanker.
However, according to eyewitnesses, the group did not take the driver's words seriously at all.
They all wanted to grab gasoline and soon surrounded the tanker trucks.
Someone even felt that there wasn't enough oil leaking, so they climbed onto the roof of the truck, drilled holes in the tank with a screwdriver, and even hit the tank with an iron rod to crack the tank so that more gasoline could be obtained from it.
(People climb into tanker trucks)
Special purpose vehicles such as fuel tankers need to pay special attention to safety.
The driver was also frightened when he saw the crazy actions of the people and immediately warned them that doing so could cause a flammable gas leak from the tank, which was very dangerous.
But this group of people only has gasoline in their eyes, and they don't listen to advice at all.
(Tanker trucks are fenced)
That's when the worst happened-
The tanker truck suddenly exploded, and the gasoline in the tank was ignited, and the surrounding area quickly turned into a sea of fire.
(The moment when the tanker truck exploded)
Eyewitness videos show that when the explosion occurred, people on the roof of the car and around it had no time to dodge, and many people were engulfed in flames in an instant.
The gasoline leaking from the tank was also ignited, and the fire could be seen spreading on the grass.
(Fuel tanker truck exploded and caught fire)
People fled in panic, and some people were still on fire.
(Manned ignition)
Some of those who escaped were also injured and fell in the grass in the distance.
(The one who got away with it)
The tanker truck burst into flames and emitted puffs of black smoke.
(Fuel tanker truck fires and emits black smoke)
As a result of the explosions and fires, many people were killed or injured, and emergency services were quickly dispatched to transport batches of injured people to nearby hospitals for emergency treatment.
(First responders transport the wounded)
At the outset, the Deputy Inspector General of the Liberian National Police said that many people at the scene had suffered burns and that the death toll was contained at 15.
Health officials said about 36 critically ill patients, including several children and a pregnant woman, were being treated.
(Wounded in the hospital)
But it didn't take long for the official update on the latest situation of the accident, and the result was far more serious than previously said.
More than 40 people have been killed and many more injured in the blast, and the death toll is likely to rise.
(related reports)
Some of the victims have been burned beyond recognition, and the police are going door-to-door in the local area to investigate and count the missing people in preparation for later comparisons of the deceased.
(Fuel tanker truck on fire)
According to the Reuters report, United Nations survey data shows that poor road safety and weak infrastructure have made sub-Saharan Africa the worst crash region in the world, causing three times the European average.
If the poor condition of the vehicle or road is an objective factor causing the rollover accident,
Ignoring the warnings, people made a series of dangerous operations on the tanker, which can only be regarded as a man-made accident.
(Fuel tanker truck after explosion and fire)
Risking your life for a free tank of gasoline,
It's not worth it......