At least 60 people perished in Tanzania on Saturday when a fuel tanker overturned and then exploded as crowds of people rushed to syphon off leaking fuel.

The deadly blast, which took place near the town of Morogoro, west of the economic capital Dar es Salaam, is the latest in a series of similar disasters in Africa.&nbsp;

Morogoro governor Stephen Kebwe said the bodies of 60 victims were at the morgue of the local hospital, where more than 70 people were also being treated for injuries.

He warned that the toll could rise with victims possibly trapped under the truck, which footage showed engulfed in fierce flames and huge clouds of black smoke.

Charred bodies and the burnt-out remains of motorcycle taxis could be seen scattered on the ground among scorched trees.&nbsp;

Regional police chief Wilbrod Mtafungwa described a huge explosion" and said the dead were mainly drivers of the taxis known as "boda-boda" and locals who flocked to the scene for the fuel.

A video posted on social media showed dozens of people carrying yellow jerricans around the truck.

The tragedy has also triggered an outpouring of grief across the country, with prominent figures including President John Magufuli and ordinary citizens sending messages of condolences.

Magufuli also called for people to stop the dangerous practice of stealing fuel in such a way, something that is common in many poor parts of Africa.

- 'Never seen a disaster of such magnitude' -&nbsp;

"The Morogoro region had never experienced a disaster of such magnitude," Governor Kebwe told reporters at the scene in Msamvu, which lies about 200 kilometres (125 miles) west of Dar es Salaam.

He said the explosion was triggered when a man tried to pull out the truck's battery.

"We arrived at the scene with two neighbours just after the truck was overturned. While some good Samaritans were trying to get the driver and the other two people out of the truck, others were jostling each other, equipped with jerricans, to collect petrol," teacher January Michael told AFP.

"At the same time, someone was trying to pull the battery out of the vehicle. We warned that the truck could explode at any moment but no one wanted to listen, so we went on our way, but we had barely turned on our heels when we heard the explosion."

Police later said they had managed to put out the flames and had cordoned off the area.&nbsp;

Magufuli said in a statement he was "very shocked" by looting of fuel from damaged vehicles.&nbsp;

"There are vehicles that carry dangerous fuel oil, as in this case in Morogoro, there are others that carry toxic chemicals or explosives, let's stop this practice, please," he said.

Last month, at least 45 people were killed and more than 100 injured in central Nigeria when a petrol tanker crashed and then exploded as people were trying to gather fuel.

In May, a similar incident occurred in Niger just a short distance from the airport in the capital Niamey, leaving almost 80 people dead.

Among the deadliest such disasters, 292 people lost their lives in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in July 2010, and in September 2015 at least 203 people perished in the town of Maridi in South Sudan.

At least 60 people perished in Tanzania on Saturday when a fuel tanker overturned and then exploded as crowds of people rushed to syphon off leaking fuel. The deadly blast, which took place near the town of Morogoro, west of the economic capital Dar es Salaam, is the latest in a series of similar disasters in Africa.

At least 60 people perished in Tanzania on Saturday when a fuel tanker overturned and then exploded as crowds of people rushed to syphon off leaking fuel. The deadly blast, which took place near the town of Morogoro, west of the economic capital Dar es Salaam, is the latest in a series of similar disasters in Africa. Morogoro governor Stephen Kebwe said the bodies of 60 victims were at the morgue of the local hospital, where more than 70 people were also being treated for injuries. He warned that the toll could rise with victims possibly trapped under the truck, which footage showed engulfed in fierce flames and huge clouds of black smoke. Charred bodies and the burnt-out remains of motorcycle taxis could be seen scattered on the ground among scorched trees. Regional police chief Wilbrod Mtafungwa described a huge explosion" and said the dead were mainly drivers of the taxis known as "boda-boda" and locals who flocked to the scene for the fuel. A video posted on social media showed dozens of people carrying yellow jerricans around the truck. The tragedy has also triggered an outpouring of grief across the country, with prominent figures including President John Magufuli and ordinary citizens sending messages of condolences. Magufuli also called for people to stop the dangerous practice of stealing fuel in such a way, something that is common in many poor parts of Africa. - 'Never seen a disaster of such magnitude' - "The Morogoro region had never experienced a disaster of such magnitude," Governor Kebwe told reporters at the scene in Msamvu, which lies about 200 kilometres (125 miles) west of Dar es Salaam. He said the explosion was triggered when a man tried to pull out the truck's battery. "We arrived at the scene with two neighbours just after the truck was overturned. While some good Samaritans were trying to get the driver and the other two people out of the truck, others were jostling each other, equipped with jerricans, to collect petrol," teacher January Michael told AFP. "At the same time, someone was trying to pull the battery out of the vehicle. We warned that the truck could explode at any moment but no one wanted to listen, so we went on our way, but we had barely turned on our heels when we heard the explosion." Police later said they had managed to put out the flames and had cordoned off the area. Magufuli said in a statement he was "very shocked" by looting of fuel from damaged vehicles. "There are vehicles that carry dangerous fuel oil, as in this case in Morogoro, there are others that carry toxic chemicals or explosives, let's stop this practice, please," he said. Last month, at least 45 people were killed and more than 100 injured in central Nigeria when a petrol tanker crashed and then exploded as people were trying to gather fuel. In May, a similar incident occurred in Niger just a short distance from the airport in the capital Niamey, leaving almost 80 people dead. Among the deadliest such disasters, 292 people lost their lives in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in July 2010, and in September 2015 at least 203 people perished in the town of Maridi in South Sudan.

Tanzania fuel tanker blast kills 60

Fifty-seven people perished in Tanzania on Saturday when a fuel tanker exploded after overturning on a road west of the capital Dar Es Salaam, police said.

The disaster took place near the town of Morogoro, with police saying the blaze may have been sparked by a cigarette as people rushed to collect leaking fuel from the stricken truck.

"There was a huge blast which has so far killed at least 57 people," regional police chief Willbrod Mtafungwa told reporters,.

Witnesses said they saw the charred remains of a number of motorcycle taxis and trees scorched by the flames.

Mtafungwa said the dead were mainly drivers of the taxis known as "boda-boda" and local residents flocking to the scene for the fuel after the tanker crashed.

Police later announced the fire had been brought under control. 
&nbsp;

Fifty-seven people perished in Tanzania on Saturday when a fuel tanker exploded after overturning on a road west of the capital Dar Es Salaam, police said. The disaster took place near the town of Morogoro, with police saying the blaze may have been sparked by a cigarette as people rushed to collect leaking fuel from the stricken truck.

Fifty-seven people perished in Tanzania on Saturday when a fuel tanker exploded after overturning on a road west of the capital Dar Es Salaam, police said. The disaster took place near the town of Morogoro, with police saying the blaze may have been sparked by a cigarette as people rushed to collect leaking fuel from the stricken truck. "There was a huge blast which has so far killed at least 57 people," regional police chief Willbrod Mtafungwa told reporters,. Witnesses said they saw the charred remains of a number of motorcycle taxis and trees scorched by the flames. Mtafungwa said the dead were mainly drivers of the taxis known as "boda-boda" and local residents flocking to the scene for the fuel after the tanker crashed. Police later announced the fire had been brought under control.

Tanzania tanker blast kills 57 as flames rip through crowd gathered to siphon petrol from it

US President Donald Trump declared Friday that a mysterious attack on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tanker-attacks-in-gulf-of-oman-stoke-security-and-oil-fears-226939">two oil tankers </a>in the Gulf of Oman had Iran "written all over it," rejecting <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/irans-zarif-calls-oil-tanker-incidents-suspicious-wants-regional-talks-226847">Tehran'</a>s denial that it had any involvement.

As <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-behind-tanker-attack-in-gulf-of-oman-us-acting-ambassador-jonathan-cohen-226968">US-Iranian tensions</a> soared, Trump dismissed previous threats by Tehran that in case of conflict it could block the Hormuz Strait -- a narrow seaway vital to the world's oil supplies.

Speaking hours after the US military released grainy footage it said showed an Iranian patrol boat removing an "unexploded limpet mine" from one of the tankers, Trump was emphatic.

"Iran did do it," Trump told Fox News. "You know they did it because you saw the boat. I guess one of the mines didn't explode and it's probably got essentially Iran written all over it."

"You saw the boat at night, successfully trying to take the mine off -- and that was exposed," he added.

Iran rejected the US accusations.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-releases-video-it-says-shows-irans-military-recovering-tanker-mine-227009/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that the US had "immediately jumped to make allegations against Iran without a shred of factual or circumstantial evidence."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an independent investigation.

"It's very important to know the truth. It's very important that responsibilities are clarified," Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.

"Obviously that can only be done if there is an independent entity that verifies those facts."

Meanwhile, Britain's assessment found that Iran was "almost certainly" behind the attacks, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said.

London pinned the blame for Thursday's attack on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard -- a vast and powerful branch of the Iranian military.

Oil exports choke point

Iran has repeatedly warned in the past that it could block the Hormuz Strait in a relatively low-tech, high-impact countermeasure to any attack by the United States.

Doing so would disrupt oil tankers travelling out of the Gulf region to the Indian Ocean and global export routes.

Trump played down the threat.

"It's not going to be closed, it's not going to be closed for long and they know it. They've been told in very strong terms," Trump said.

Oil prices have surged in response to the rising tensions.

Saudi Arabia's energy minister Khalid al-Falih said the kingdom was monitoring the situation with "great concern" and called for action to secure maritime traffic, the Saudi SPA news agency said.

Saudi Arabia, a close US ally, is a bitter regional rival of Iran.

China called for all sides to "resolve the conflict through dialogue," while the European Union called for "maximum restraint."

Russia, which has close -- if sometimes strained -- links to Iran, warned through its foreign ministry against "hasty conclusions."&nbsp;

Sailors rescued

The oil tankers were 10 nautical miles apart and headed to Asia when they were struck by explosions early Thursday after passing through the Strait of Hormuz some 25 nautical miles off Iran's southern coast.

The Front Altair, owned by the Oslo-listed company Frontline, was carrying naphtha, a refined petroleum product. It was hit by three explosions, according to Norwegian officials.

Explosions also struck the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous, which was loaded with methanol, but the fire on board was soon extinguished. One crew member suffered minor injuries and the ship was headed Friday toward the UAE port of Khor Fakkan.

There was no claim of responsibility for the blasts, which struck both tankers at the waterline.

Iran said its navy rescued several dozen crew members from the two vessels, while the US Navy said it had picked up 21 from the Kokuka Courageous.

Iran's English-language Press TV aired footage of rescued crewmen from the Front Altair, saying they were all in "full health."

The crew of the Kokuka Courageous saw a "flying object" before a second blast on board, the operator's head said Friday.

Washington has dispatched the destroyer USS Mason to the scene "to provide assistance," CENTCOM said in a statement while Oman said it sent two navy vessels to assist.

Iran or 'proxies?'

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday's tanker explosions were "the latest in a series of attacks" he blamed on Iran or its "proxies," including Yemeni rebel missile strikes which wounded 26 civilians at a Saudi airport on Wednesday.

A Saudi-led coalition which is fighting the rebels it accuses of being Iranian proxies said its air defences had intercepted a new rebel attack on an airport in the Islamic kingdom on Friday.

The abortive strike involving five rebel drones targeted the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait, home to a huge airbase which has been the main launchpad of the coalition's more than four-year bombing campaign in Yemen.

The United States has also accused Iran over May 12 attacks on four tankers anchored in the Gulf of Oman off the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah.

The preliminary findings of an UAE-led investigation found that a state actor was responsible but stopped short of naming Iran.

US President Donald Trump declared Friday that a mysterious attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman had Iran "written all over it," rejecting Tehran's denial that it had any involvement.

US President Donald Trump declared Friday that a mysterious attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman had Iran "written all over it," rejecting Tehran's denial that it had any involvement. As US-Iranian tensions soared, Trump dismissed previous threats by Tehran that in case of conflict it could block the Hormuz Strait -- a narrow seaway vital to the world's oil supplies. Speaking hours after the US military released grainy footage it said showed an Iranian patrol boat removing an "unexploded limpet mine" from one of the tankers, Trump was emphatic. "Iran did do it," Trump told Fox News. "You know they did it because you saw the boat. I guess one of the mines didn't explode and it's probably got essentially Iran written all over it." "You saw the boat at night, successfully trying to take the mine off -- and that was exposed," he added. Iran rejected the US accusations. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that the US had "immediately jumped to make allegations against Iran without a shred of factual or circumstantial evidence." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an independent investigation. "It's very important to know the truth. It's very important that responsibilities are clarified," Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York. "Obviously that can only be done if there is an independent entity that verifies those facts." Meanwhile, Britain's assessment found that Iran was "almost certainly" behind the attacks, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said. London pinned the blame for Thursday's attack on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard -- a vast and powerful branch of the Iranian military. Oil exports choke point Iran has repeatedly warned in the past that it could block the Hormuz Strait in a relatively low-tech, high-impact countermeasure to any attack by the United States. Doing so would disrupt oil tankers travelling out of the Gulf region to the Indian Ocean and global export routes. Trump played down the threat. "It's not going to be closed, it's not going to be closed for long and they know it. They've been told in very strong terms," Trump said. Oil prices have surged in response to the rising tensions. Saudi Arabia's energy minister Khalid al-Falih said the kingdom was monitoring the situation with "great concern" and called for action to secure maritime traffic, the Saudi SPA news agency said. Saudi Arabia, a close US ally, is a bitter regional rival of Iran. China called for all sides to "resolve the conflict through dialogue," while the European Union called for "maximum restraint." Russia, which has close -- if sometimes strained -- links to Iran, warned through its foreign ministry against "hasty conclusions." Sailors rescued The oil tankers were 10 nautical miles apart and headed to Asia when they were struck by explosions early Thursday after passing through the Strait of Hormuz some 25 nautical miles off Iran's southern coast. The Front Altair, owned by the Oslo-listed company Frontline, was carrying naphtha, a refined petroleum product. It was hit by three explosions, according to Norwegian officials. Explosions also struck the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous, which was loaded with methanol, but the fire on board was soon extinguished. One crew member suffered minor injuries and the ship was headed Friday toward the UAE port of Khor Fakkan. There was no claim of responsibility for the blasts, which struck both tankers at the waterline. Iran said its navy rescued several dozen crew members from the two vessels, while the US Navy said it had picked up 21 from the Kokuka Courageous. Iran's English-language Press TV aired footage of rescued crewmen from the Front Altair, saying they were all in "full health." The crew of the Kokuka Courageous saw a "flying object" before a second blast on board, the operator's head said Friday. Washington has dispatched the destroyer USS Mason to the scene "to provide assistance," CENTCOM said in a statement while Oman said it sent two navy vessels to assist. Iran or 'proxies?' US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday's tanker explosions were "the latest in a series of attacks" he blamed on Iran or its "proxies," including Yemeni rebel missile strikes which wounded 26 civilians at a Saudi airport on Wednesday. A Saudi-led coalition which is fighting the rebels it accuses of being Iranian proxies said its air defences had intercepted a new rebel attack on an airport in the Islamic kingdom on Friday. The abortive strike involving five rebel drones targeted the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait, home to a huge airbase which has been the main launchpad of the coalition's more than four-year bombing campaign in Yemen. The United States has also accused Iran over May 12 attacks on four tankers anchored in the Gulf of Oman off the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah. The preliminary findings of an UAE-led investigation found that a state actor was responsible but stopped short of naming Iran.

Gulf of Oman tanker attacks: Trump dismisses Iran denials, United Nations chief pushes for an independent probe

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Tanzania fuel tanker blast kills 60

Tanzania tanker blast kills 57 as flames rip through crowd gathered to siphon petrol from it

Gulf of Oman tanker attacks: Trump dismisses Iran denials, United Nations chief pushes for an independent probe