Nigeria fuel tanker fire kills at least 50

At least 50 people have been killed in Nigeria when the fuel they were scooping up from a crashed tanker caught fire; others were badly injured.

At least 50 people have been killed in Nigeria's Benue State when fuel from a crashed truck that they were collecting caught fire.

"A tanker loaded with fuel fell yesterday (Monday) and people were scooping its products when it caught fire, killing over 50 persons," a spokesman for the governor in central Benue state said on Tuesday.

Others were badly injured and taken to hospital, he said.

Terver Akase, spokesman for the state governor, told dpa the figures were still being compiled but the death toll was likely to be about 50.

He said the incident occurred Monday on the Ahumbe-Makurdi road when the tanker overturned and later exploded killing people trying to collect the spilled oil.