On Thursday, a oil tank truck burst into flames in a village in western Mozambique, Africa killing 73 people and injuring 110 more. The truck was transporting fuel to Malawi from from the port city of Beira and was near the border when the accident occurred.
The incident occurred when residents gathered around the truck in the town of Caphiridzange in Tete province to buy petrol. The truck had crashed and residents were trying to take off with petrol. Because of the heat the truck burst into flames.
The precise circumstances of the explosion remained unclear. Authorities were trying to determine whether the oil tank truck was selling petrol when it exploded, or whether it had been ambushed by residents.
Mozambique Information Ministry director Joao Manasses said it was possible that the truck was ambushed by residents. He has also announced an investigation.
A local journalist told AFP that the truck had crashed on Wednesday and exploded on Thursday afternoon as scores of people tried to siphon off fuel.
The carnage left charred bodies in the town. Many of the people had tried to run off to the nearby river while official said that there would be more bodies in the jungle nearby.
Children are there among the injured. The injured were rushed to the hospital in ambulances and other vehicles and a government team was due to travel to the area in Tete province, some 2,000 km (1,242 miles) from the capital Maputo on Friday. Some of the injured are in critical condition.
The government “deplores the loss of life… and is currently providing the necessary assistance in order to save lives and to comfort the victims’ families.”
Senior Mozambique government officials will visit the site for further investigation and three minister were due to arrive at the scene in order to monitor the rescue work.
According to International Monetary Fund, Mozambique is one of the world’s poorest countries and since its population has suffered the consequences of a terrible economic crisis.
On January 2015, Tete province was hit by another tragedy, where 75 people died from intoxication after drinking traditional beer.
