A man walks past burnt vehicules in Freetown on November 6, 2021, following a massive explosion that has killed at least 92 people.Photo: AFP

 

A massive fireball sparked by a fuel tanker explosion killed 98 people in Sierra Leone's capital Freetown, the West African country's disaster management agency said on Saturday.

The blast happened when a fuel tanker collided with another truck at a petrol station on Friday night, according to witnesses.

The flames then spread, burning people in cars and on roads nearby.

The majority of the victims were street vendors and motorcyclists, many of whom were caught in the blaze while trying to retrieve fuel leaking from the tanker before it ignited, according to volunteer worker Jusu Jacka Yorma who was at the scene.

The National Disaster Management Agency said in a statement that 98 deaths had been recorded so far and "92 survivors are currently admitted to various hospitals in Freetown."

Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh had earlier given a death toll of 98 after arriving at the scene, adding that all those injured would receive free treatment.

A nurse at a hospital where victims were sent told AFP that many women, men and children had sustained "serious injuries."

Rescue operations continued under police supervision on Saturday.

Hundreds of people gathered at the scene of the tragedy, many searching for missing relatives under the eye of security forces, an AFP correspondent said.

Contrary to some initial reports, a fuel depot near the accident did not explode, the correspondent added.

Video footage showed a burnt-out tanker and a truck, and the surrounding area littered with husks of vehicles, some still smoldering.

"Deeply disturbed by the tragic fires and the horrendous loss of life," President Julius Maada Bio wrote on Twitter.

"My profound sympathies with families who have lost loved ones and those who have been maimed as a result. My government will do everything to support affected families."

The United Nations office in Sierra Leone expressed its "deepest condolences" to the victims.

"The UN family closely monitors the situation and stands ready to help with the response to the fire," it said in a statement. 

Freetown mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr said she was "deeply saddened" by the explosion.

"The video and photo footage making rounds on social media are harrowing," she wrote on Facebook.

AFP