Dozens killed after tanker and lorry collide in Sierra Leone
- World
- DPA
- Published Date: 02:36 | 06 November 2021
- Modified Date: 02:36 | 06 November 2021
Dozens of people have been killed in a collision between a tanker truck and a lorry in the West African country of Sierra Leone.
The accident occurred on Friday evening in a busy street in the capital Freetown.
According to eyewitnesses, many people rushed to the tanker to siphon off petrol after the collision with containers. Shortly afterwards, the truck exploded. Some surrounding shops and cars caught fire, they said.
Staff at a hospital near the accident site confirmed to dpa on Saturday that rescue workers had brought in 80 bodies during the night. The local television station AYV spoke of 400 victims on Saturday morning.
President Julius Maada Bio, who attended the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow on Friday, is expected in Freetown shortly, a government spokesperson said.
Due to the "tragic accident," Bio had cancelled a planned trip to a meeting of the West African Economic Community ECOWAS in Ghana.
The accident occurred on Friday evening in a busy street in the capital Freetown.
According to eyewitnesses, many people rushed to the tanker to siphon off petrol after the collision with containers. Shortly afterwards, the truck exploded. Some surrounding shops and cars caught fire, they said.
Staff at a hospital near the accident site confirmed to dpa on Saturday that rescue workers had brought in 80 bodies during the night. The local television station AYV spoke of 400 victims on Saturday morning.
President Julius Maada Bio, who attended the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow on Friday, is expected in Freetown shortly, a government spokesperson said.
Due to the "tragic accident," Bio had cancelled a planned trip to a meeting of the West African Economic Community ECOWAS in Ghana.
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