Sierra Leone:Fuel tanker blast kills at least 91 in Freetown

In the African country Sierra Leone, at least 91 people died and dozens more injured after a massive explosion in the capital, Freetown.The blast happened after a 40-feet long oil tanker collided with another vehicle at a busy junction in the city. Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr described the incident harrowing and said the scale of the damage was not yet clear. In a post on Facebook, she said, there were rumours that more than 100 people have lost their lives, although there is as yet no official death toll. The state-run morgue has received 91 bodies so far.

The explosion is believed to have happened at a junction outside the busy Choithram Supermarket in the Wellington region of the city at around 22.00 GMT on Friday. President Julius Maada Bio in a tweeted expressed grief over the incident. 

Deeply disturbed by the tragic fires and the horrendous loss of life around the Wellington PMB area. 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. pic.twitter.com/xJRA1UtCJJ

— President Julius Maada Bio (@PresidentBio) November 6, 2021

The port city, which is home to just over a million people, has faced several serious disasters in recent years.In March, more than 80 people were injured after a major fire in one of the city's slums left more than 5,000 people displaced. And in 2017 over 1,000 people were killed after heavy rains led to a mudslide that swept through the city, leaving around 3,000 people homeless..