“The tanker was involved in an accident and overturned,” the Libyan security source said.
At least five people were also killed 50 were injured late yesterday, Sunday, when it broke out fire on a tanker carrying diesel in a southern city Libyasources from the medical and security services said.
Pictures posted online by residents show a charred truck and several other charred vehicles on both sides of the road in Ezawaiya area of the city Ben Baya.
The three medical service sources said five bodies were found charred either in or near vehicles, adding that the death toll was expected to rise as there were serious cases among the injured. It is unclear if the tanker driver is among the victims.
#Ubari, a fuel truck broke down on the public road, due to the high price of a liter of gasoline above 3 dinars, citizens rushed to take it from the truck. Unfortunately, a spark ignited the fuel, killing 5 and injuring at least 20 people.#Libya #Fezzan#اوباري #Libya #فزان pic.twitter.com/v3Tc53UEsp
— Hassan (@Ha___m___) August 1, 2022
“The tanker was involved in an accident and overturned,” the security source said.
The source said that after the tanker overturned and before it caught fire, some people from other cars had approached it and tried to take fuel from its tank. “These citizens approached it to resupply without realizing the magnitude of the danger,” the source said. “Unfortunately, the fire broke out in the tanker and resulted in casualties.”
Libya has been short of fuel since 2014 when the country was torn apart by a civil war in which rival factions battled for power following an uprising that toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
In many cities citizens have to wait in long queues, sometimes for hours, in order to refuel their vehicles.
Abdulhamin al-Dbeiba, prime minister of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, said in a tweet that authorities were “closely monitoring the devastation in Bent Bayah municipality.”
Dbeiba said instructions were given for the injured to be taken to major hospitals.
5 people died and 70 others were sent to a number of hospitals in the south #Libya due to the explosion of a fuel tank at Bent Baya. Distress Call has been sent to government agencies to send an air ambulance to transfer serious injuries to #Tripoli hospitals pic.twitter.com/REoU9HbINV
— Libya Al-Ahrar English (@LibyaAhrarEN) August 1, 2022
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