FREETOWN — 2021 · Major Tragedy
The Freetown Fuel Tanker Explosion
On the night of 5 November 2021, at the PMB junction in the Wellington district of Freetown, Sierra Leone, a petrol tanker trying to turn collided with a lorry carrying granite. Crowds, many of them motorcycle-taxi riders, gathered to collect the leaking fuel in containers, and shortly afterwards a huge explosion followed. The fire spread to vehicles stuck in traffic, a bus full of passengers and nearby shops. From an initial 99, the death toll rose to 154 by December, with more than 300 injured, and hospitals were overwhelmed with severe burns. President Julius Maada Bio declared three days of national mourning and a task force was set up to investigate the causes.
- Date
- 2021
- Place
- Wellington, Sierra Leone, Freetown, SL
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 8.4700, -13.1700 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 5 November 2021The tanker collided with a lorry at the PMB junction and exploded.
- November 2021Three days of national mourning were declared.
- 8 November 2021Victims were buried in a mass ceremony at Waterloo.
- December 2021The death toll reached 154.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Freetown fuel tanker explosion en.wikipedia.org ↗
- BBC — Sierra Leone explosion: Scores dead after Freetown oil tanker collision bbc.com ↗
- Al Jazeera — Death toll in Freetown fuel tanker explosion rises to 131 aljazeera.com ↗
- Wikipedia
- BBC
- Al Jazeera
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.