At least 99 killed, 92 injured in fuel truck blast in Sierra Leone

Moscow, Nov 7 (UNI/Sputnik) At least 94 people dead and another 92 injured were confirmed in Sierra Leone as a result of an explosion sparked by a collision of two trucks, the mayor of the country’s capital of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, said on Saturday.
“Explosion at Bai Bureh Road, Wellington. What we Know so far: 92 injured (48 at Connaught Hospital, 6 at Choithrams. Hospital, 20 at 34 Military Hospital, 18 at Emergency Hospital). 94 confirmed dead at Connaught Mortuary. Potentially 4 corpses are still at scene of explosion,” Aki-Sawyerr said on Facebook.
Earlier in the day, the mayor said that more than 100 people might have lost their lives in the blast and expressed her condolences to the families of the victims.
The explosion occurred on Friday night after a tank truck carrying fuel collided with another truck, according to the mayor. The extent of damage to property is yet unknown, she added.
Later on Saturday, the country’s emergencies service reported that the death toll of the blast reached 98 people.
The fuel truck crashed into a truck loaded with granite when driving out of a gas station, the authorities said. Shortly after the accident, both drivers got out and warned the onlookers not to approach the scene due to fuel leaks. However, several locals attempted to siphon off the fuel using the commotion, the emergencies service added.