According to the country’s chief medical officer, more than 40 individuals are feared dead following a tanker truck explosion in central Liberia.

The truck, which was carrying gasoline, crashed and tipped into a ditch near Totota. Dr. Francis Kateh stated that determining the exact number of victims has been challenging due to some being reduced to ashes, but he estimated that over 40 people lost their lives in the incident. Local authorities initially reported 15 deaths and at least 30 injuries as bystanders gathered at the scene.

Eyewitnesses mentioned that some locals began taking the leaking gas before the explosion occurred, resulting in casualties. The police are still in the process of collecting information on the total number of injured and deceased individuals.