At least 50 people were killed and another 101 people injured in Benue State on Monday after they rushed to scoop fuel from an overturned tanker and the vehicle exploded.

The incident happened at Ahumbe village on Monday afternoon after a fuel tanker which was trying to avoid a pothole overturned and fell off the road.

According to Baba Aliyu, an official of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), the death toll could rise as many of the injured were in critical conditions. 

Aliyu said nearby shops were also razed during the explosion after fuel from the crash spilled on them.

Fuel tanker accidents are frequent in Nigeria where petroleum products are often transported by road.

In July last year, eight people died when an oil tanker exploded in Lagos State while more than 60 people were killed in another tanker accident which occurred in Anambra State in 2015.