At least 85 killed in South Sudan oil tanker explosion
An abandoned oil treatment facility in Unity State, South Sudan (AFP Photo/Tony Karumba)At least 85 people were killed in South Sudan when an oil tanker that had crashed exploded as people were scooping up the fuel, a presidential spokesman said on Thursday.
"They were killed when the oil tanker exploded, there were at least 85 people dead," Ateny Wek Ateny told AFP, citing local officials.
Over 100 others suffered burns, local government official John Skia told South Sudanese Eye Radio.
The crash and subsequent blast took place on Wednesday on a road some 250 kilometres (155 miles) west of the capital Juba, close to the small town of Maridi.
Those wounded were taken to Maridi hospital, with a doctor there, Chandi Savior, telling Radio Tamazuj that they were struggling to help all those with burns, with supplies of basics such as oxygen and simple pain killers low.
Medics are "not really able to calm down this pain", Savior told the radio.
Fuel leaks and oil tanker accidents in Africa often draw huge crowds scrambling to scoop up the fuel, resulting in many deaths due to accidental fires.
SOURCE: AFP
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