Eleven dead including two children after fuel truck explosion in Uganda
Those caught in the explosion were ‘burnt beyond recognition’, according to a police spokesman.
At least 11 people including two children have died after a fuel truck exploded next to a highway in Uganda, police said.
The truck overturned after an accident and later exploded in a town just outside Kampala, the capital, police spokesman Patrick Onyango said.
“The victims were burnt beyond recognition,” he said in a statement.
A cloud of dark smoke rose from the scene, as per footage shared online by an onlooker.
The video appeared to show people scooping up fuel from the truck before the blast, likely in the hopes of selling it.
The dangerous scene bears resemblance to a similar incident in Nigeria last week, which left more than 140 people dead, including children.
“This tragic incident serves as a reminder of the risks associated with fuel tanker accidents and the importance of exercising caution when dealing with hazardous materials,” Mr Onyango said.
There have been similar incidents over the years across East Africa.
At least 62 people were killed in Tanzania in 2019 as a crowd attempted to syphon fuel out of a damaged truck.
In South Sudan, at least 183 people were killed in 2015 when hundreds of villagers gathered around a fuel truck to harvest fuel.
