Scores of fuel scavengers killed after Nigerian tanker crash

At least 92 people were killed yesterday when a petrol tanker crashed in the Niger Delta and caught fire as people tried to scoop up fuel.

The tanker is reported to have crashed into three other vehicles. A police spokesman said that after the crash people rushed to the scene to collect the spilled fuel. The tanker then exploded, burning many of them to death.

Crashes are common on Nigeria's poorly maintained roads, and in a region where most people live on less than $2 a day the chance to collect spilling petrol is too much of a temptation, despite the risks.