ABUJA, Nigeria - A petrol tanker slammed into a military convoy ferrying soldiers back to their base in northern Nigeria killing 45 troops and injuring others, the Army said Thursday.
Army Spokesman Brig. Gen. Emeka Onwuamaegbu said that one officer and 44 lower-ranking soldiers died in the accident overnight as the troops headed to their base in Borno State.
He said others were injured and were receiving treatment. Onwuamaegbu hailed the "fine gallants" of the Army's 245th Battalion, but gave no more details.
Accidents are common on Nigeria's poorly maintained roads. Even main cities are linked by pitted, two-lane roads crammed with passenger buses, trucks laden with goods and rickety private vehicles.
Drivers often travel at high speed and overtake slower vehicles, leading to head-on collisions and high death rates.
In January, a petrol tanker overturned on a road in the southern city of Port Harcourt, spilling its load into a crowded market. Some three dozen people died when the petrol ignited. - AP