Blogger News Network

Officials in Benin say a tanker truck has exploded, killing 35 people who were stealing fuel when it ignited.

Hospital workers say another 80 people were wounded in the accident Thursday, many of them seriously.

Reports say the truck had either broken down or run off the side of the road in the northern town of Porga, when villagers arrived to steal the fuel it was carrying.

The truck then burst into flames. Officials say they counted the charred remains of more than 20 people at the scene.

Fuel explosions have long been a problem in West Africa, especially in neighboring Nigeria, where thieves often try to illegally tap into the country's vast network of oil pipelines.