Tanzania fuel tanker blast kills 60

At least 60 people perished in Tanzania Saturday when a fuel tanker overturned and then exploded as crowds of people rushed to syphon off leaking fuel.

The deadly blast, which took place near the town of Morogoro, west of the economic capital Dar es Salaam, is the latest in a series of similar disasters in Africa.

Morogoro governor Stephen Kebwe said the bodies of 60 victims were at the morgue of the local hospital, where more than 70 people were also being treated for injuries.

He warned that the toll could rise with victims possibly trapped under the truck, which footage showed engulfed in fierce flames and huge clouds of black smoke.

Charred bodies and the burnt-out remains of motorcycle taxis could be seen scattered on the ground among scorched trees.

Regional police chief Wilbrod Mtafungwa described a huge explosion" and said the dead were mainly drivers of the taxis known as "boda-boda" and locals who flocked to the scene for the fuel.

A video posted on social media showed dozens of people carrying yellow jerricans around the truck.

The tragedy has also triggered an outpouring of grief across the country, with prominent figures including President John Magufuli and ordinary citizens sending messages of condolences.

Magufuli also called for people to stop the dangerous practice of stealing fuel in such a way, something that is common in many poor parts of Africa.

"The Morogoro region had never experienced a disaster of such magnitude," Governor Kebwe told reporters at the scene in Msamvu, which lies about 200 kilometers west of Dar es Salaam.

He said the explosion was triggered when a man tried to pull out the truck's battery.

"We arrived at the scene with two neighbors just after the truck was overturned. While some good Samaritans were trying to get the driver and the other two people out of the truck, others were jostling each other, equipped with jerricans, to collect petrol," teacher January Michael told AFP.

"At the same time, someone was trying to pull the battery out of the vehicle. We warned that the truck could explode at any moment but no one wanted to listen, so we went on our way, but we had barely turned on our heels when we heard the explosion."

Police later said they had managed to put out the flames and had cordoned off the area.

Magufuli said in a statement he was "very shocked" by looting of fuel from damaged vehicles.

"There are vehicles that carry dangerous fuel oil, as in this case in Morogoro, there are others that carry toxic chemicals or explosives, let's stop this practice, please," he said.

Last month, at least 45 people were killed and more than 100 injured in central Nigeria when a petrol tanker crashed and then exploded as people were trying to gather fuel.

In May, a similar incident occurred in Niger just a short distance from the airport in the capital Niamey, leaving almost 80 people dead.

Among the deadliest such disasters, 292 people lost their lives in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in July 2010, and in September 2015 at least 203 people perished in the town of Maridi in South Sudan.