At least 99 people were killed and more than 100 injured in the Sierra Leonean capital late last night when a tanker exploded after a collision, local authorities said.
Fuel continued to leak from the damaged tank this morning, as police and soldiers tried to clear the crowds of passers-by who had gathered, a Reuters reporter reported.
A burnt corpse and the charred trunks of cars and motorcycles were visible on the street in Wellington, in the eastern suburbs of Freetown, where hundreds of people had gathered.
The death toll now stands at 99 and more than 100 injured are being treated in hospitals and clinics in the capital, Deputy Health Minister Amara Jabai told Reuters.
Among the victims are people who rushed to collect the fuel that was leaking from the vehicle, Yvonne Aki-Soger, mayor of this port city, initially said in a Facebook post. Later, he deleted this comment.
Videos posted on the internet shortly after the explosion show people running through dense clouds of smoke as flames illuminate the night sky. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the authenticity of the images.
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