[ Video Courtesy of NTDTV ]
An oil tanker explosion killed at least 200 people in eastern Congo and over 110 injured were transported to a nearby hospital by the United Nations mission by a first aid helicopter. According to the BBC, the fuel oil tanker overturned in the village of Sange near the country’s eastern border probably due to the truck’s “excessive speed” said a police officer based in Bukavu.
The official also said that many of the villagers who surrounded the vehicle before it exploded were children and sport fans enthusiasts who were watching the world cup soccer game on TV. Some others were killed trying to steal fuel that was pouring throughout the village before the explosion, government spokesperson Vincent Kabanga told Reuters. Accidents like this are not uncommon in the region because people try to steal spilled oil.
According to the U.N., no peacekeepers were killed in the explosion.
The truck was on its way carrying fuel from the city of Bukavu to the town of Uvira.
The official also said that many of the villagers who surrounded the vehicle before it exploded were children and sport fans enthusiasts who were watching the world cup soccer game on TV. Some others were killed trying to steal fuel that was pouring throughout the village before the explosion, government spokesperson Vincent Kabanga told Reuters. Accidents like this are not uncommon in the region because people try to steal spilled oil.
According to the U.N., no peacekeepers were killed in the explosion.
The truck was on its way carrying fuel from the city of Bukavu to the town of Uvira.
