Fuel tanker explosion kills 99 in Sierra Leone; Amir condoles S.Leone president over deaths

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KUWAIT, Nov 6: At least 99 people have died after a massive explosion when a fuel tanker collided with a lorry in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, according to BBC. Fuel spilled before igniting and the resulting inferno engulfed bystanders and vehicles at a busy junction, it added. Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio said he was “deeply disturbed by the tragic fires and the horrendous loss of life”. In a tweet, he said his government would do “everything to support the affected families”.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Saturday sent a cable of condolences to President Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, over the explosion of a fuel tanker at one of the stations in the city Freetown. His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al- Hamad Al-Sabah also sent a similar cable to the president of the republic. An oil tanker truck exploded near Sierra Leone’s capital, killing at least 98 people and severely injuring dozens of others after large crowds gathered to collect leaking fuel, officials and witnesses said Saturday. The explosion took place late Friday when the tanker collided with another truck as it was pulling into a gas station near a busy intersection in Wellington, just east of the capital of Freetown, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. “Both drivers came out of their vehicles and warned community residents to stay off the scene while trying to address a leakage emanating from the collision,” the agency said. In this deeply impoverished country, however, crowds still rushed in to scoop up fuel, witnesses said. It was not immediately known what caused the leaking fuel to ignite but a massive explosion soon followed.(KUNA)

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