Fifty-nine people have been confirmed dead following a tragic collision between a fuel tanker and a lorry carrying passengers and cattle in Nigeria’s Niger state. The crash occurred around 00:30 local time on Sunday (23:30 GMT Saturday), leading to an explosion that engulfed both vehicles, according to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA).

Abdullahi Baba Ara, the agency’s director-general, stated that emergency teams were immediately dispatched to the scene to contain the situation. Several other vehicles were also caught in the explosion.

Ibrahim Hussaini, a spokesperson for NSEMA, warned that the death toll could still rise. “The death toll has now reached 59 after one of the critically injured victims passed away in the hospital, and more bodies were discovered at the accident site,” she said. He added that continued evacuation efforts could reveal additional victims.

Footage from the scene showed the two vehicles completely burnt out, along with the charred remains of several cattle. Emergency rescue workers said they were working to recover both human bodies and animals trapped in the wreckage.

Hussaini also reported that funerals for most of the victims took place on Sunday, marking what he called “the worst accident we have recorded in many years.” The Niger state government has pledged to cover the hospital expenses of those injured in the explosion.

Niger state Governor Umaru Bago expressed his deep sorrow in a message of condolence to the victims’ families, saying he was “pained by the unfortunate incident.”

Fuel tanker accidents and explosions are tragically common in Nigeria, often due to the poor state of the country’s roads.