Freetown fuel tanker explosion
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| Date | 5 November 2021 |
|---|---|
| Time | c. 22:00 GMT (UTC±0) |
| Location | Wellington, Freetown, Sierra Leone |
| Coordinates | 8°26′39″N 13°09′42″W / 8.44417°N 13.16167°W |
| Type | Fuel tanker explosion |
| Cause | Collision between a fuel tanker and a lorry |
| Deaths | 154 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 304 |
| Property damage |
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On 5 November 2021 a collision between a petrol fuel tanker and a lorry at a busy junction of Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, resulted in an explosion and a fire that caused 154 deaths and 304 injuries,[1] overwhelming the city's medical services.
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, with a population of more than 1.2 million people. The accident occurred at a busy intersection along Bai Bureh Road in the neighbourhood of Wellington, Freetown's main industrial district.[2] The intersection where the accident occurred is popularly known as PMB, short for the Sierra Leone Produce Marketing Board (SLPMB), a defunct parastatal whose old factory buildings are located adjacent the intersection.[3]
Event
At approximately 22:00 GMT on 5 November 2021, a fuel tanker carrying petrol attempted to make a turn outside Choithram Supermarket in the Freetown suburb of Wellington. A lorry reportedly carrying granite collided with the tanker at the junction, causing a fuel leak.[2][4][5] The two drivers came out of their vehicles and warned community residents to stay off the scene, according to Sierra Leone's National Disaster Management Agency.[4]
Petrol spilled from the tanker and locals, particularly okada riders, attempted to collect it in containers. An explosion led to a huge fireball that engulfed vehicles, people and passengers that were stuck in traffic created by the initial collision.[6]
The mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, said that the damage was exacerbated by people who gathered at the lorry, scooped the leaking fuel in containers and placed them in close proximity to the crash scene.[citation needed] This created traffic chaos with many people, including passengers in cars and buses, stuck very close to the scene of the accident.[7][8]