At least 99 people have died after a massive explosion when a fuel tanker collided with a lorry in Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown.
A screen grab shows firefighters trying to bring the blaze under control. Photo: AFP
Fuel spilled before igniting and the resulting inferno engulfed bystanders and vehicles at a busy junction.
Footage broadcast by local media outlets showed badly charred bodies in the streets surrounding the tanker.
President Julius Maada Bio said he was "deeply disturbed by the tragic fires and the horrendous loss of life".
In a tweet, he said his government would do "everything to support the affected families".
Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr described seeing "harrowing" photos.
Some 100 people are being treated in hospitals and health centres around Freetown, some of which are said to be overwhelmed.
The explosion is believed to have happened at a junction outside the busy Choithram Supermarket in the densely populated Wellington suburb in the east of the city at around 10pm GMT on Friday.
One report said a bus was completely burnt, while nearby shops and market stalls were caught up in the flames.
Photo: AFP
Brima Bureh Sesay, the head of Sierra Leone's National Disaster Management Agency, said there were many "burnt corpses".
"It's a terrible, terrible accident," he told local media in a video shared from the scene.
Photo: AFP
The port city of Freetown, 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 5000 people displaced.
And in 2017 more than 1000 people were killed after heavy rains led to a mudslide that swept through the city, leaving around 3000 people homeless.
-BBC
